It may be a miracle that the Carolina Panthers, given their mounting collection of setbacks, are even at 2-2 as they enter their break.
From the start of training camp to their latest regular-season outing, the reigning NFC South champions have had a difficult time keeping their players on the field in 2026. In fact, according to the following bit of information from @StickToTheModel over on Twitter/X, the Panthers currently lead the league in games missed by starters due to injury.
Take a look . . .
They say the best ability is availability
— Stick to the Model (@StickToTheModel) October 8, 2026
Injury tracker thru week 4... https://t.co/UthaFj3OaR pic.twitter.com/RfgnJ7wp3y
Unfortunately, the starters that Carolina have seen go down are pretty important ones.
They have yet to see either of their usual
starting offensive tackles in Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton—both of whom have been sidelined since the summer. More recently, their starting cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, went down in the same game—the Week 3 loss in Cleveland.
Here's what the long injury list looks like going into Week 5 . . .
Reserve/injured
- RB Jonathon Brooks (groin)
- RB Trevor Etienne (ankle)
- WR Chris Brazzell II (knee)
- WR Xavier Legette (knee)
- OL Brady Christensen (hamstring)
- OLB Nic Scourton (knee)
- ILB Bam Martin-Scott (hamstring)
- CB Jaycee Horn (quad)
- CB Mike Jackson (groin)
Reserve/non-football illness
- OT Taylor Moton (blood clot)
Reserve/physically unable to perform
- OT Ikem Ekwonu (knee)
- DL Tershawn Wharton (neck)
Injuries on active roster
- WR Jalen Coker (quad)
- OT Monroe Freeling (knee)
- G Damien Lewis (elbow)
- DL Cam Jackson (knee)
- OLB Jaelan Phillips (hamstring)
In a bit of positive news, head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Monday that he expects Etienne to return in Week 6. He also expressed some optimism about Freeling and Phillips, both of whom were injured this past Sunday night, and even Moton.
But for the now, the often-frowned upon Week 5 bye feels like an early blessing for the banged-up Panthers.
Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers leading NFL in unfortunate category heading into Week 5
