Don't expect the Carolina Panthers to get back their usual starting offensive tackles—or at least of them, in particular—anytime soon.
Head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters this afternoon, following last night's prime-time victory
over the Detroit Lions. The 32-26 win, just as the three games that preceded it, did not include left tackle Ikem Ekwonu nor right tackle Taylor Moton—both of whom have been sidelined for months.With the Panthers headed for their bye this upcoming week, Canales was asked for an update on Moton—as the 32-year-old lineman recovers from a blood clot in his lung.
"We need medical clearance. So we're gonna be really at the mercy of the evaluations that happen in this next week to see if we can get those guys back,"
Canales stated of Moton and defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton, who underwent offseason neck surgery.
"We've pushed them as hard as we can within the confines of their mode to know that they're physically ready to do it. But then's there structural stuff, there's the medical stuff with T-Mo that we're at the mercy of."
2026 first-round pick Monroe Freeling has started at right tackle in place of Moton. Freeling, however, left Sunday night's triumph with a knee injury, and his status for the team's Week 6 outing against the Philadelphia Eagles is in question.
Canales was then asked about Ekwonu.
"Ickey's still got a ways," he replied. "Ickey is progressing well. They're pushing him, he's moving, he's jumping, he's doing some different things. But we have to be able to get it to a point where he's getting pushed on and all those things. And that's still in front of us.
"But he's in great spirits. He's attacking it. They're doing a great job with him in RTP [return-to-play]. But he's gonna have a little bit of ways still."
Ekwonu tore his patellar tendon in Carolina's wild-card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams back in January. Free-agent signee Rasheed Walker has manned the blindside in his stead.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales provides updates on OTs Ikem Ekwonu, Taylor Moton
