Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton diagnosed with lung blood clot, placed on non-football injury list

The Carolina Panthers placed starting right tackle Taylor Moton on the non-football injury list Tuesday after a late June diagnosis of a blood clot in his lung. Moton was immediately placed on blood thinners and is responding well to treatment, the team said. He will continue daily assessments by medical staff.

Moton is expected to miss regular-season action, though he is projected to return during the 2026 season. The timetable for his return remains unclear. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman, a second-round pick in 2017, has started at right tackle for the Panthers since 2018.

Moton graded as Pro Football Focus' 14th offensive tackle among 84 qualifiers in 2025 after committing five penalties and allowing three sacks. He signed a two-year, $44 million extension last summer that carries cap hits of $21.1 million and $28.4 million over the next two years. The Panthers will also place cornerback Jaycee Horn on the reserve/NFI list.

Horn recently received stitches on his foot and is expected to return soon. The team already faces the absence of left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who is expected to miss most or all of the season after tearing his patellar tendon in a playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Carolina signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal in free agency and drafted offensive tackle Monroe Freeling in the first round of the 2026 draft.