Panthers LT Ikem Ekwonu Suffers Torn Patellar Tendon
Ikem Ekwonu suffered what Panthers head coach Dave Canales referred to as a “significant” knee injury yesterday. Further testing has confirmed that is indeed the case. 
Canales said on Sunday Ekwonu suffered a torn patellar tendon. Surgery is forthcoming as a result. No firm timeline is in place at this point, but a lengthy rehab process now awaits the Panthers’ left tackle. Canales noted the injury will have an impact on Carolina’s offseason planning along the offensive line.
“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 (via ESPN’s David Newton). “Timeline wise, all those times vary, but it’s significant.”
Ekwonu is in danger of missing not only the coming offseason program as well as training camp but also a large portion of the 2026 campaign. Being without him for an extended period would deal a notable blow to Carolina’s O-line, a unit which could see considerable turnover during the coming months. Ekwonu and the Panthers have a mutual interest in an extension, but a major injury such as this could lead to a pause in negotiations on that front.
Last offseason, the Panthers picked up Ekwonu’s fifth-year option. As a result, the 25-year-old is due to earn $17.56MM for 2026. That figure is guaranteed, but the potential for other left tackle investments in free agency and/or the draft will be something to watch closely in Carolina’s case. The team will be seeking offensive upgrades across the board coming off an inconsistent 2025 campaign which resulted in a division title but also left plenty of room for improvement.
Ekwonu was fully available for each of his first two years in the NFL. The former No. 6 pick missed just two games in each of the 2024 and ’25 campaigns, but that strong run of availability is in serious danger of being interrupted next season.
Panthers, DC Ejiro Evero Agreed To Extension Prior To 2025 Season
Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero‘s contract was due to expire at the end of the 2025 season. Although it was not revealed until Sunday, during head coach Dave Canales‘ end-of-season presser, Carolina extended Evero before the start of the ’25 campaign (via Joe Person of The Athletic). Person adds that the contract runs through 2027.
Evero, 45, has been with the Panthers since 2023, one year before Canales’ arrival. While new head coaches generally prefer to bring in their own coordinators, Canales noted at the outset that he hoped to retain Evero. As such, Carolina blocked him from taking defensive coordinator interviews with other clubs.
They could not prevent him from speaking with teams about a head coaching position, and he landed second HC interviews with three clubs in the 2024 cycle (including the Panthers, who ultimately settled on Canales). Obviously, he did not land any of those positions, but his status as one of the best defensive coaches in the game has endured.
Evero’s career as an NFL staffer began back in 2011 as a quality control coach with the 49ers. He eventually worked his way up the ranks and parlayed his work as the secondary coach and passing game coordinator with the Super Bowl champion Rams in 2021 into a defensive coordinator post with the Broncos in 2022.
That year was a disastrous one for the Broncos, who fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett in the middle of the campaign. Ejero’s defense, though, was not the problem, as his unit finished seventh in yards allowed. He declined to take the interim HC job upon Hackett’s dismissal and was released from his contract when Denver acquired Sean Payton.
In his first year with the Panthers in 2023, the club finished fourth in total defense (although Carolina surrendered the fourth-most points per game). In the first year of the Canales/Evero partnership in 2024, the Panthers finished dead last in terms of both total defense and scoring defense, which likely played a role in Evero’s absence from the 2025 HC circuit.
The Panthers nonetheless opted not only to retain Evero, but to extend his contract. While their surprising run to the playoffs in 2025 was made possible by a weak NFC South, they did push the Rams to the brink in a narrow wildcard-round loss on Saturday and ended the regular season in the middle of the pack with respect to yards allowed and points allowed.
As Carolina looks to build on something of a breakthrough, it will have continuity at the top of the coaching staff.
Panthers Activate G Robert Hunt From IR
The Panthers are big underdogs to the Rams in the wild-card round, having finished 8-9. But the home team will have a key offensive line presence available. Robert Hunt is coming off IR, where he has resided since a Week 2 injury.
Carolina announced Friday Hunt is now activated, and the high-priced guard will start against Los Angeles. A biceps tendon tear has kept Hunt out for nearly four months, but the Panthers will have their two guard starters — Hunt and Damien Lewis — ready for the franchise’s first playoff game in eight years.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Hunt returned to practice on Christmas Eve but was given a ramp-up period despite the Panthers not being on firm playoff footing. The patience ultimately will be rewarded, and Hunt will have a chance to close out his season on a high note. The former Dolphins second-round pick is finishing out the second season of a five-year, $100MM contract.
The Panthers, who have four injury activations remaining, have used Austin Corbett as their other guard. Corbett has yoyoed between guard and center in Carolina. Cade Mays has become the Panthers’ primary center. Hunt, 29, started 16 games last season and had built considerable momentum during his final years in Miami.
ESPN’s run block win rate metric slotted Hunt second among all interior offensive linemen last season. The Panthers have deployed a middling run game this season, despite some quality earlier Rico Dowdle work. They rank 19th in rushing and 27th in scoring offense.
Carolina has been maddeningly inconsistent on offense in Bryce Young‘s third season; Young’s development (or lack thereof at the time) was the key driver for Hunt and Lewis to be given big-ticket FA contracts in 2024. The Panthers will not be expected to beat the Rams twice in one season — well, Vegas certainly doesn’t think this will happen — but they should have a better shot with a key offensive starter back.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/8/26
A handful of playoff teams shuffled their practice squads today. We’ve listed all of the moves below:
Carolina Panthers
- CB Michael Reid
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- Placed on IR: LB Ty Summers
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: S Kaevon Merriweather
New England Patriots
- Signed: OT Sebastian Gutierrez
- Released: CB Miles Battle
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/7/26
Today’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: QB Shane Buechele
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Demani Richardson
- Released: CB Michael Reid
Denver Broncos
- Signed: T Geron Christian, C Michael Deiter, TE Marcedes Lewis
- Released: G Nash Jones, C Joe Michalski
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Anthony Campbell
- Placed on practice squad/injured list: WR Will Sheppard
Houston Texans
- Signed: S K’Von Wallace
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Marcus Maye
- Released: C Josh Kaltenberger
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Tre Flowers
Richardson, Christian, Lewis, Wallace, Maye, and Flowers all cleared waivers after being cut from their respective teams earlier this week. They’ll all return to those teams via new practice squad deals.
Panthers EVP Brandt Tilis To Interview For Falcons’ Football Ops. Job
The Falcons have another candidate for their newly-created president of football operations role: Panthers executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis.
Tilis is set to interview for the role, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, though ex-Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan appears to be a frontrunner for the position. Atlanta is nonetheless obligated to interview other candidates, who may also emerge as figures in their search for a new general manager.
Tilis came up in the Chiefs’ front office, starting as a salary cap analyst in 2010 and eventually rising to vice president of football operations in 2021. In 2024, he interviewed for the Panthers’ GM position, and though that ultimately went to Dan Morgan, Tilis still came to Carolina in a VP role. Carolina went 5-12 in their first year under their new front office and improved to 8-9 this year to secure the franchise’s first NFC South crown since 2015.
While head coach Dave Canales‘ work with Bryce Young and the Panthers offense has yielded clear results on the field, Morgan and Tilis have knocked their roster moves out of the park. Major investments, like drafting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and signing safety Tre’von Moehrig, have paid off, and Carolina’s roster is peppered with key contributors on excellent contracts that were signed in the last two offseasons. Among them are safety Nick Scott, cornerback Michael Jackson, and running back Rico Dowdle.
The Falcons’ focus on Ryan seems to close the door on Tilis securing the top football operations job, but his initial discussion with the team may keep him in the race for general manager, as well. The other known candidate for that job is Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, who the team has already requested to interview.
Atlanta will likely finalize Ryan’s hiring as director of football operations before moving onto their GM and head coach selections, by which time Tilis’ name may come back up. He could also draw interest from another team looking to reshape their front office with an executive who helped build a dynasty in Kansas City and has contributed to Carolina’s rapid return to relevance.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/26
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
- Designated for return from IR: G Chandler Zavala
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: LB Karene Reid
Green Bay Packers
- Signed from practice squad QB Desmond Ridder
- Waived: QB Clayton Tune
Houston Texans
- Activated from IR: DE Darrell Taylor
- Waived: S K’Von Wallace
Set to host the Rams in the wild-card round on Saturday, the Panthers have opened Zavala’s 21-day practice window. That will at least give Zavala a chance to return this week. Zavala has been on IR twice this year – once for a knee injury, again for a calf problem – which limited him to seven games and five starts during the regular season. He hasn’t played since Week 12.
The Packers rested starting quarterback Jordan Love in their regular-season finale against the Vikings. Backup Malik Willis was unavailable because of shoulder and hamstring issues, which led to Tune receiving his second NFL start. It went poorly for the 26-year-old Tune, who completed 6 of 11 passes for 34 yards in a 16-3 loss. Ridder, who combined for 18 starts with the Falcons and Raiders from 2022-24, will replace Tune on the Packers’ roster as they prepare for a playoff showdown with the rival Bears.
Panthers Activate WR David Moore, Waive WR Hunter Renfrow
The Panthers have made a few roster moves in advance of their upcoming playoff game. Wide receiver David Moore has been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement. 
Moore’s practice window was set to expire tomorrow, so Carolina had to activate him to prevent him from reverting to season-ending IR. The veteran has been sidelined since suffering an elbow injury in Week 4. His return in time for the wild-card round will provide depth on offense as well as a special teams presence.
A pair of players have been waived in corresponding moves. That includes fellow wideout Hunter Renfrow, who saw early playing time during his return to NFL action. The former Pro Bowler was sidelined by ulcerative colitis in 2024 but managed to play in the Panthers’ first six games this season. Renfrow recorded a pair of touchdowns on 15 receptions but has not played since October.
Second-year safety Demani Richardson has also been waived. The former undrafted free agent has made 27 appearances and six starts in his career, each of which have come with the Panthers. As Joe Person of The Athletic notes, Richardson is a candidate to be retained via the practice squad provided he clears waivers.
Today’s move leaves the Panthers with five IR activations. The team has one open roster spot, and it could be used on guard Robert Hunt (who returned to practice two weeks ago) provided he is activated within the coming days.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order
With the AFC North now settled (in rather dramatic fashion), the 2025 regular season is in the books. Following their decisions to shelve Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby, the Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick. After entering Week 17 in that slot, the Giants — as they did in 2024 — slipped out of the top two thanks to a late-season win.
Big Blue’s victories over the Raiders and Cowboys dropped them to No. 5, with today’s win allowing the Jets, Cardinals and Titans to leapfrog them. The Giants, who fell out of the No. 1 spot last year thanks to a Drew Lock-led win over the Colts in Week 17, will still hold a top-five pick — just not the one most expected two weeks ago. The Jets saw the Colts’ collapse, which dropped them from 8-2 to 8-9, give them two picks in the top 16.
The Cardinals started 2-0 but managed to close the season with 14 losses over their final 15 games. This will give Arizona a top-four pick for the third time in the Monti Ossenfort era. The GM traded out of that slot in 2023 before drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024; Ossenfort is expected to be retained for a fourth season, providing another opportunity. This will be the third straight year the Titans will hold a top-seven pick.
The Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday, but thanks to a three-way NFC South tie, Tampa Bay’s draft slot will land out of the playoff positions for the first time since 2020. Because Atlanta defeated New Orleans today, Carolina’s first-round pick will slide into the bottom 14 despite its 8-9 finish — one that secured playoff entry for the first time since 2017.
Although the draft order is not fully set due to the upcoming playoffs, the first 18 picks are. Here is how the order looks after Week 18:
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (8-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
- Buffalo Bills (12-5)
- Chicago Bears (11-6)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Houston Texans (12-5)
- Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Denver Broncos (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
Coaching Notes: Chiefs, Lions, Udinski, Leonhard, Idzik, Brown, Bears, Pitcher, Scheelhaase, Godsey
Matt Nagy looms as one of the top head coaching candidates with an offensive background in this year’s hiring cycle. A departure for a second HC opportunity (or at least a play-calling offensive coordinator role) is something to watch for over the coming days.
In the event Nagy were to head elsewhere, the Chiefs would find themselves in need of an OC replacement. The team could look to familiar options in such a scenario. Kansas City would “welcome back” Mike Kafka or Eric Bieniemy, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.
Bieniemy, 56, worked under Andy Reid from 2013-22. That span included five years in the offensive coordinator role. Bieniemy led Washington’s offense for one season before doing the same at UCLA. He is currently serving as the Bears‘ running backs coach. Kafka, meanwhile, was with the Chiefs for five years, operating as quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator along the way. As the interim head coach of the Giants, the 38-year-old’s future is currently unclear.
With Black Monday approaching, here are some other coaching notes from around the NFL:
- Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently hinted at staffing changes. It would comes as little surprise if OC John Morton were to be among those let go, seeing as he was stripped of play-calling duties midway through the campaign. Morton said (via Rapoport and Pelissero) “I’d like to be here” when asked about the possibility of remaining in Detroit. Taking on a lesser role for next season could thus be something to watch for as Campbell looks into his coordinator options.
- Overall, the pool of head coaching candidates for 2026 is not seen as being as strong as last year. A large number of firings over the next few days may not be forthcoming as a result. On the other hand, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required) this winter could be busier than usual in terms of coordinator changes. Jaguars OC Grant Udinski, Broncos secondary coach Jim Leonhard, Panthers offensive coordinator Brad Idzik and Patriots pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown are among the staffers she identifies among those who have drawn strong reviews for their work this season.
- Ben Johnson has impressed during his debut season in Chicago. He could be in line to lose a number of key assistants soon, however. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports names Bieniemy as a candidate to depart this winter with his stock having received a boost. In addition, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, pass-game coordinator Press Taylor and quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett have each generated buzz regarding interest around the league. Johnson may have multiple vacancies to fill in the near future in the wake of Chicago’s successful campaign.
- Dan Pitcher has been with the Bengals since 2016. Over that time, he has worked his way up to quarterbacks coach, a role he has had for six seasons and counting. The 38-year-old finds himself as an interview candidate for OC positions, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Losing Pitcher would deal another blow to the stability Zac Taylor enjoyed on his offensive staff until Brian Callahan‘s departure in 2025.
- Fowler also points to Nate Scheelhaase as a “sleeper” with respect to offensive coordinator interviews. Scheelhaase, 35, served in many positions at the college level before joining the Rams in 2024; he currently serves as the team’s pass-game coordinator. Many Sean McVay assistants have gone on to land notable gigs elsewhere in the NFL, and along with D-coordinator Chris Shula Scheelhaase could soon become the latest to do so.
- Since 2022, George Godsey has served as the Ravens’ tight ends coach. That tenure is nearing an end, however, Godsey is finalizing a deal to become the next offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. By returning to his alma mater, Godsey will end a run of NFL coaching positions which dates back to 2011.