Tershawn Wharton: Everything you need to know

Wharton underwent neck surgery in early May and is out indefinitely, Joe Person of The Athletic reports. Wharton signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Panthers last offseason, and he played just nine regular-season games in 2025, recording 36 tackles (11 solo), 2.0 sacks and a pass breakup. It's unclear if he'll miss any time, but LaBryan Ray would likely handle an increased workload if Wharton's injury lingers.

Wharton totaled 36 tackles (11 solo), including 2.0 sacks, and a pass defended across nine regular-season games during the 2025 campaign. Wharton had one of his most productive seasons in 2025, as he tallied a career-high 36 points despite missing eight games, including the final four contests of the regular season due to a hamstring injury. While the 27-year-old managed to suit up for the wild-card loss to the Rams, he aggravated the injury during the game and will likely begin the offseason focused on getting healthy.

Wharton was ruled out of Saturday's wild-card game against the Rams due to a hamstring injury, Kassidy Hill of the Panthers' official site reports. Wharton missed Week 18 with a hamstring injury but was removed from the injury report Tuesday. He seemingly aggravated the issue Saturday and was forced to exit after logging two tackles.