Coming into the 2026 season as reigning NFC South champions, the Carolina Panthers have clearly had designs of establishing themselves as a regular playoff contender. But those hopes have taken a hit.
Not only are they close to drowning under a wave of injuries, but their hold on the division feels a bit shaky—especially after this past Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
So, with the trade deadline less than two weeks away, you'd think now would be a great time to rejuvenate the roster with some outside help, right?
Not so fast.
On Wednesday's episode of Panthers Collective, The Athletic's Joe Person pointed out a pretty costly obstacle that could prevent general manager Dan Morgan from making a difference-making move. Here's
what Person had to say . . .
Will the #Panthers make some moves ahead of the #NFL Trade Deadline?#KeepPounding @Sheena_Marie3 @DuncOnDemand @josephperson
— Panthers Collective (@PanthersHMA) October 29, 2026
FULL SHOW: https://t.co/yI83NtGz47 pic.twitter.com/zSsXNZZWzo
As Person notes, Carolina currently has the second-lowest amount of room to work with. According to Over The Cap, the Panthers are at approximately $533,061 in salary cap room—which, obviously, wouldn't be enough to accommodate a notable contract.
What hurts more is that the Panthers are spending (much) more than any other team on their offensive line—which has underwhelmed in a massive way this season. In addition to their disappointing results, the unit has yet to get a snap out of left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, will no longer have right tackle Taylor Moton and are headed into Green Bay tonight without left guard Damien Lewis.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Reporter points to hurdle that may prevent Panthers from making big move at trade deadline
