NFL: Panthers' line fractures before Packers showdown
Carolina enters Week 8 without two key linemen and with the league's worst run defense, facing Green Bay at Lambeau Field.
By Harper Collins ·
Carolina Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton will miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season with a fractured fibula, leaving the team with a depleted offensive line for a Thursday night matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Moton suffered the injury in the third quarter of a 30-point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Head coach Dave Canales said Moton will undergo ankle surgery. The Panthers are 3-3 and top of the NFC South heading into Week 8. They play the Packers at Lambeau Field at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
With Moton out, first-round pick Monroe Freeling will move from left tackle to right tackle. Freeling has surrendered 18 pressures in five games, including four sacks. Left tackle Rasheed Walker, a free agent signing to replace Ikem Ekwonu, has allowed 34 pressures this season. Ekwonu is recovering from patellar tendon surgery. Center Torricelli Simpkins III is out with a left ankle injury.
The Panthers' defensive struggles are equally pronounced. The unit has allowed 153.2 rushing yards per game through seven weeks, the worst mark in the NFL. That is 7.5 yards more than the Dallas Cowboys, who rank 31st. Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has overseen an opposing team rush for 200 or more yards six times since the start of the Canales era in 2024. No other defense has more such games.
Evero signed a contract extension in 2025 that runs through the 2027 season. In 2024, his unit allowed 3,057 total rushing yards, the most in the league and the first 3,000-yard season for a defense since 1980. Canales said the team is working on adjustments to stop the run.
"That's what we're working on right now. I don't really want to get into the specifics of it," Canales said. "I feel like there's the adjustments and the things that we need to do."
Injuries have complicated the defensive picture. Outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips is out with a hamstring injury. Cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are on injured reserve with calf and groin issues, respectively. Outside linebacker Nic Scourton is also dealing with an injury.
The Panthers' offense ranks fifth in the league. Quarterback Bryce Young set a franchise record with 11 passing touchdowns through the first five games. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble against Tampa Bay. Running back Chuba Hubbard has 571 total yards and six touchdowns in six games.
Carolina has covered 12 consecutive games after a loss, one shy of the Super Bowl era record. The Packers have covered four straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Green Bay ranks ninth in passing defense, allowing 208.0 yards per game.
