The Carolina Panthers suffered a horrific loss in Week 7, as they were trounced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the tune of a 43-13 defeat. Considering all the optimism the Panthers had generated so far this season, this was a jarring loss that raises quite a few questions for the team moving forward.
As if losing wasn’t bad enough, Carolina suffered a major blow to its offensive line when Taylor Moton was forced out of this game early with an injury. After returning from a scary bout with blood clots in Week 6, the Panthers feared that Moton suffered a season-ending injury, which led to them making an unsurprising roster move involving him on Monday.
Panthers Place Taylor Moton on Injured Reserve
The Panthers selected Moton in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and after he earned a starting job in 2018, he has been entrenched as the team’s starting right tackle ever since. While he doesn’t have a Pro Bowl or All-Pro honor to his name, Moton is one of the most dependable right tackles in the league.
Moton’s calling card throughout his career has been his durability, as he had missed just four total games over the first nine years of his career entering this season. That all changed when he was diagnosed with blood clots in his right lung in July, which forced him to go on blood thinners and miss the beginning of the regular season.
After making a full recovery, Moton was cleared to make his return to action in Week 6. He didn’t last long, though, as he was carted off the field against the Bucs with what was later revealed to be a fractured fibula. That injury will likely sideline Moton for the rest of the season, so as a result, the team decided to place him on injured reserve Monday afternoon.
Panthers place right tackle Taylor Moton on injured reserve,” the team announced in a post on X.
Panthers Must Quickly Find a Replacement for Taylor Moton
Losing Moton is a crushing blow, as this team is at its best when he is on the field protecting Bryce Young and opening holes for the rushing attack. Now that he’s out for the season, first-round rookie Monroe Freeling (who began the year filling in for Moton) will return to the starting lineup, with Stone Forsythe serving as the top backup at right tackle.
In a way, Carolina is prepared when it comes to replacing Moton, but that doesn’t make his loss any easier to deal with. Beyond that, the Panthers also have to pick themselves up quickly, because they have a tough Thursday Night Football challenge against a Green Bay Packers team that is also quite banged up. With a short week ahead, Carolina is going to have to figure out its offensive line quickly, or else it may end up turning in another ugly outing in Week 8.
Panthers Announce Taylor Moton Roster Move After Crushing Injury