While the Cleveland Browns have rookies and a few veterans having already reported to training camp, the full squad won’t be in action until early next week. Around the NFL, a few teams have already started training camp practice with media in attendance. The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, who play in the Hall of Fame game this preseason, were the first to start camp on July 22nd.
The Panthers show up on Cleveland’s schedule this year, in Week 3 as the Browns home opener for the 2026 season.
As we saw when Cleveland placed DT Maliek Collins on the active/PUP list, injuries are always a story in the NFL.
Carolina is already dealing with more than their fair share of issues on the medical front. In back-to-back days, before camp even started, the Panthers placed a number of would-be starters on different injury lists:
- CB Jaycee Horn – Non-Football Injury – Due to stitches in his foot
- OL Taylor Moton – Non-Football Injury – Due to blood clots
- OL Ikem Ekwonu – PUP – Torn patellar tendon recovery
- DT Tershawn Wharton – PUP – Neck surgery
- DT Bobby Brown III – Non-Football Injury – Hamstring
According to our Panthers SB Nation site, Moton, Ekwonu, and Wharton’s seasons are up in the air and seem likely to be unavailable when they travel to face the Browns in Week 3. Horn and Brown are expected back on the field during the early part of training camp.
Unfortunately for Carolina, the injury issues continued in their first training camp practice as DE/OLB Nic Scourton went down with a major injury, reportedly a torn ACL, and is likely out for the year. Scourton was the 51st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and was expected to start across from free agent addition Jaelan Phillips as the team’s primary pass rushers. Last year, Scourton had five sacks, 47 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and nine QB hits as a rookie.
Injuries are a part of the game, but Cleveland’s home opener opponent has been hit hard earlier in their 2026 training camp.
