Serious medical situation involving Panthers starting right tackle could make the team’s first-round pick even more important
Carolina Panthers veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung in late June and will start training camp this week on the NFI list.
The Carolina Panthers are set to start training camp this week with rookies back in the team facilities on Tuesday with veterans expected back on Wednesday. However, two of the team’s top veterans and one rookie won’t be out there at the start of camp.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn, right tackle Taylor Moton, and UDFA rookie cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau were each placed on the NFI list prior to the start of camp. Horn, the team’s Pro Bowl corner, suffered a cut on his foot while running that required stitches, but he’s expected to return early during camp. Moton, however, is dealing with a more serious situation.
Moton’s was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung in late June and was immediately placed on blood thinners. The treatment is expected to make him miss time during the regular season, though he’s expected to return at some point during the season, which makes this a major situation for the Panthers.
What is the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list?
Players who are not ready to practice because of injuries or sickness that happened outside of NFL-sanctioned games or practices.
- Players on the Active/NFI list still count against the 90-man roster.
- Players on the Active/NFI list at the start of camp can return to practice at any point when healthy and are allowed to attend team meetings.
- Players still on the Active/NFI list during 53-man roster cuts are placed on the Reserve/NFI list and do not count against the roster.
- Players placed on the Reserve/NFI list must miss at least four regular-season games before becoming eligible to return.
Taylor Moton’s situation presents an early challenge for him, and the Panthers, for the 2026 season
Moton is one of the team’s top offensive players and largely been a dependable player up-front for the Panthers. He’s started 15 or more games in seven of his nine seasons with the team and has been the staple of consistency on the right side. What he’s dealing with now is a serious, life-threatening situation.
Several NFL players have dealt with blood clots in recent years including WR Chris Olave, RG Trey Smith, and DT Christian Barmore. Olave suffered a similar blood clot in the lung that Moton is dealing with, known as a pulmonary embolism. Olave was diagnosed prior to the New Orleans Saints regular season finale last season and still wasn’t fully cleared for football activity back in June.
“It was crazy,” Olave said. “I didn’t really know before when they told me, I ain’t really know what a blood clot was, but once they told me, they explained the whole situation that was going on, I feel like it was tough at first. But I just put my best foot forward, (and am) just trying to do everything right so I can be healthy at the beginning of the year.”
With this kind of situation, playing it safe is always the best course of action, even with the season right around the corner. Which makes first-round offensive tackle Monroe Freeling even more important for Carolina.
Monroe Freeling should be the Panthers top option at right tackle while Moton is out
The Panthers drafted Freeling in the first-round with the intention that the highly-athletic, but relatively raw, tackle could compete against veteran addition Rasheed Walker for the starting left tackle position while former first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu rehabs from a ruptured patellar tendon. However, throughout the offseason program, the Panthers also worked Freeling in on the right side preparing him for a potential swing tackle role.
“He worked both. I think cross-training for all of our guys is invaluable,” offensive coordinator Brad Idzik said back in May. “We have a lot of different mixtures as you go throughout the season, a lot of uncontrolled variables pop up where you have to play guys at different spots.”
Kudos for the Panthers for being ahead of any unexpected situations, because now the team is certainly faced with one. With Freeling now back in the building, he should be the team’s top option at right tackle while Moton is out due to this complication while Walker serves as the left tackle.
Other tackles on the roster include Stone Forsythe and Albert Reese along with the return of versatile offensive lineman Brady Christensen.