Not many teams, if any, have had worse injury luck than the Carolina Panthers in 2026. The team lost several players before the season even started, some are still dealing with 2025 injuries and some have suffered injuries in the past few weeks.
The Panthers have navigated it well, however, and still sit atop the NFC South with a 2-2 record. Some of the key pieces the Panthers lost to injury won’t be back in 2026, but some will.
On Monday, the team got some good news about two players starting at key positions.
Tershawn Wharton, Taylor Moton May Practice Open Windows
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
On Monday, the team officially opened the practice windows for offensive lineman Taylor Moton and defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton.
Moton has yet to play this season because it was discovered before the season that he had a blood clot in his lung. Since then, Moton has been on the NFI list, and rookie Monroe Freeling has fought for his spot at right tackle.
Meanwhile, Wharton has yet to make his 2026 debut. The veteran had neck surgery in May, and has been working his way back ever since. Wharton started all nine games in which he appeared for the Panthers in 2025.
Getting Wharton back will be huge as the Panthers’ defensive line has been very disappointing. The unit was wounded on the ground, and rookie Lee Hunter and veteran Derrick Brown weren’t great.
One could make the argument that the offensive and defensive lines are the biggest problem areas for the Panthers this season. Moton’s return means Freeling could return to a swing tackle role, while Wharton’s return gives the team another reliable defender to rotate on the line.
Moton has 128 career starts for the Panthers. Before 2026, the veteran had never played in fewer than 14 games in a season. Meanwhile, Wharton has 22 career starts with 150 tackles and 15.5 sacks in his career.
Just because the practice windows are activated, it doesn’t mean they’ll both be back for Week 6. It just means the veterans can start working again in practice, and then they can take the field when fully healthy. At this point, the Panthers will use all the help they can get.
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