Carolina Panthers welcome two key starters back to practice, face two decisions
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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales offered positive updates on two starters who haven’t yet played in 2026.
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He also faces two interesting decisions.
First, the updates:
Canales told reporters Monday that offensive tackle Taylor Moton and defensive lineman Turk Wharton will see their 21-day practice windows opened this week. Moton discovered blood clots in his lung this summer and thus missed training camp. Wharton underwent neck surgery in May and similarly hasn’t practiced since.
This is big news for a team that is at long last starting to heal from all the injury woes it suffered this summer and through the first four weeks of the season.
“They’re excited to get back out there,” Canales said of Moton and Wharton. “We gotta get them some football to kind of be able to evaluate their (game) availability in the next couple of weeks.”
He later added: “We’ll open up Turk and T-Mo’s window this week for sure, and then how they respond to the work, we’ll give all that information later.”
The Moton news is especially timely. For one, the Panthers’ pass-blocking hasn’t been up to snuff through four games — quarterback Bryce Young is among the most pressured quarterbacks in the league. For another, starting right tackle Monroe Freeling exited last week’s Sunday Night Football victory early due to a knee injury.
“Monroe is doing everything he can to make himself available for this week. Again, we’ll go through that process. And of course, T-Mo hasn’t seen football. He looks in great shape. He’s ready to go. He’s been cleared medically. But now it’s going to be about the football. And that’s what this week is about.”
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Canales later added that Wharton’s return to the practice field is “a real breath of fresh air.” Wharton, after signing a three-year, $45 million deal last offseason, has only played in 10 of a possible 22 games with the Panthers through his first two seasons.
And the Panthers could use Wharton’s talent and strength in the interior defensive line — even though the Panthers’ front-seven has shown immense growth over the last two weeks.
“He’s worked so hard to get back to this point,” Canales said of Wharton. “We were so fired up to get that information earlier, to be able to be cleared to get back to playing football. And he brings in excitement, whether it’s in practice and especially in the games. And it’ll be very interesting to see how we’re able to factor him back into a role. But all of that stuff will make sense the more we see what his physical readiness is.”
It’s true that positivity is all around the Panthers right now. The team is 2-2 and thus sits alone atop the NFC South after this past week of contests. National punditry made a meal of Young’s MVP chances. And returns from injury are always good.
Still, roster decisions loom. And two in particular come to the fore now that the activation of Moton and Wharton are closer to reality. Those two:
Canales didn’t go into those questions on Monday — instead saying that he’ll go a bit more into the team’s injury situation on Tuesday, the “first day of practice” of Week 6.
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