Panthers' Ickey Ekwonu sustains serious knee injury in playoff loss vs. Rams

Mike Kaye, The Charlotte Observer on Jan 11, 2026

Published in Football

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers will head into the offseason with uncertainty surrounding their left tackle position.

Ickey Ekwonu sustained a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee during Saturday’s wild-card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, according to head coach Dave Canales Sunday. Ekwonu was injured during the second series of the 34-31 defeat at Bank of America Stadium.

“Timeline-wise, all of those times vary and all that, but it is significant,” Canales said Sunday. “It’s going require surgery, so prayers and thoughts for Ickey. Just battled for us, and worked on some things along the season. Just a guy that I love, a guy that I trust out there, and so we’ll all be with him the whole way. And with him a speedy recovery as he comes back.”

Ekwonu, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, is set to play on the fifth and final year of his rookie contract in 2026. He has been eligible for a contract extension since the conclusion of the 2024 season, but the team picked up his fifth-year option last offseason instead.

Ekwonu was replaced by veteran Yosh Nijman against the Rams. Nijman had previously filled in for Ekwonu for two starts at left tackle during the regular season. Nijman is a pending unrestricted free agent in March.

“Yosh stepped in there and allowed us to play some good ball,” Canales said.

With Ekwonu likely to undergo a long rehabilitation process, the Panthers will need to figure out if they want to keep Nijman as experienced insurance or look for a help at left tackle elsewhere.

Starting center Cade Mays and versatile veterans Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen are also set to become free agents in 2026. Christensen has been on the shelf since the midway point of the season with an Achilles injury.

According to Over the Cap, the Panthers are projected to have the third-highest offensive line payroll in the NFL in 2026. That $86.6 million total is without Mays, Nijman, Corbett and Christensen factored into the math.

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