The Carolina Panthers are about to begin training camp this week, but it will unfortunately be without two of their key starters.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, both tackle Taylor Moton and cornerback Jaycee Horn will be sidelined with differing health issues.
“Jaycee Horn and Taylor Moton will be placed on the reserve/NFI list,” wrote Rapoport on X. “Moton is dealing with blood clots and he likely will miss the start of the season. Meanwhile, Horn recently had stitches on his foot and should be back soon.”
The Panthers Will Be Shorthanded at the Start of Training Camp
Losing Moton for a good chunk of the season is a huge setback for the Panthers, who will already be without left tackle Ikem Ekwonu for part of the year. According to ESPN, Moton has been placed on blood thinners and is responding well, but when he will be ready to join the team remains up in the air.
In the meantime, the Panthers will get a closer look at rookie tackle Monroe Freeling, who was selected by Carolina in the first-round of the NFL Draft. he has mostly been practicing at left tackle, but may make the jump over to right on order to fill the void left by Moton. The Panthers also have free agent Rasheed Walker as part of the picture, and both players should see an increased role throughout camp.
Meanwhile, Horn had a cut on his foot that required stitches, but it is not believed to be an injury that will force him to miss any games. It is expected he will be ready to roll sooner rather than later. Still, the Panthers will head into camp now down several key starters.
Carolina Welcomes Back a Friendly Face Ahead of Camp
The Panthers brought back veteran offensive lineman Brady Christensen on a one-year deal earlier this week after he was medically cleared months after tearing his Achilles.
“You know, I think it’s cliché, but it really does feel like a family here,” he said via team reporter Darin Gantt. “And that’s hard to do in the NFL because everyone’s coming and going and there’s a lot of change and a lot of turnover.”
“But I came walking back here, and I felt like I was coming back to my family, and I mean that. And so I’m very grateful, and I think that’s the biggest change from maybe the previous years, we’re just one big family that we’re going to go out there and compete together.”
The versatile lineman has started at all five positions up front for Carolina, and could be valuable should Moton miss significant time. He should be ready for this week’s start of camp, and that was always his goal throughout rehab.
“I knew the 9-month mark was about the start of training camp, so that was always the goal,” Christensen said. “I ended up a couple of weeks early getting cleared. But that was always the goal, to be ready for Day 1 of training camp.
Panthers Get Brutal Injury News to 2 Key Starters Ahead of Camp