"CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Coach Dave Canales said the Carolina Panthers will have to adjust their offseason draft and free agency planning after learning starting left tackle Ickey Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee in the first quarter of Saturday's 34-31 playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The typical recovery time for the injury is six to 12 months, which means the sixth pick of the 2022 draft will miss all the offseason program and potentially all of the 2026 season."
"Canales said the Panthers (8-10), who haven't selected an offensive lineman the past two drafts, will have to take Ekwonu's injury into consideration as they move forward. They have the 19th pick of the 2026 draft after winning the NFC South to draw a first-place schedule in the upcoming season. "It is something we have to consider, knowing we're going to go through a full offseason, what's the timeline, how does that affect training camp, roster numbers and all of that," Canales said."
Ickey Ekwonu, the Panthers' starting left tackle and the sixth pick of the 2022 draft, suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee during the first quarter of the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Typical recovery for the injury is six to 12 months, which could cost Ekwonu the entire offseason program and possibly the 2026 season. Surgery will be required. The injury will affect Carolina's offseason planning for the draft and free agency, roster counts, training camp timelines and cap considerations given Ekwonu's contract status through 2026.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]