Ikem Ekwonu - Pro Football Rumors

Ikem Ekwonu Aiming For Panthers Extension

May 3rd, 2025 at 8:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ikem Ekwonu will remain with the Panthers for at least the next two seasons given the team’s recent decision on his fifth-year option. If Carolina’s left tackle starter has his way, though, he will stay in place beyond 2026.

Ekwonu took on starting duties as a rookie and he has manned the blindside for each of his three years in the league. He will finish his rookie pact in 2025, and the Panthers’ decision to pick up his option has him in line to receive $17.65MM the following year. A long-term pact could be in place by that point, something the 24-year-old would welcome.

“I have no timeline, honestly,” Ekwonu said of a potential extension (via the team’s website). “I’ll let my agent and [general manager] Dan [Morgan] and everybody kind of figure that out for themselves. “But I mean, obviously, all parties know, all parties involved know I want to be here in Carolina long term. Hopefully, we can get that done.”

Pass protection has been a sore spot for Ekwonu, and continued development in that regard will be key if he is to become a long-term mainstay up front. The NC State product’s run blocking has proven to be a strength as expected, however. A commitment beyond the intermediate term was mentioned by Morgan as something on the Panthers’ radar when the option decision was announced, so it will be interesting to see when extension negotiations take place.

Carolina has longtime right tackle Taylor Moton in place for 2025, the final year of his contract. The team’s center spot is also uncertain beyond the coming campaign with Austin Corbett being re-signed this spring and Cade Mays inking his RFA tender. At guard, by contrast, the Panthers’ plans are clear with 2024 free agent additions Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis still in the fold.

A total of 15 offensive tackles are currently attached to a deal averaging at least $20MM per year. Ekwonu has not done enough to warrant a commitment near the top of the market so far, and it would come as no surprise if the Panthers waited before engaging in contract talks. Considering a mutual interest exists on the extension front, though, this situation will be worth watching.

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($17.6MM): Exercised
LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Exercised
DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Panthers To Exercise LT Ikem Ekwonu’s Fifth-Year Option

April 26th, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ikem Ekwonu has served as the Panthers’ starting left tackle throughout his time in the NFL so far. That will continue for at least the next two years.

When speaking to the media after the draft, general manager Dan Morgan said Carolina will pick up Ekwonu’s fifth-year option. As a result, he will be on track to earn $17.56MM in 2026. Morgan added a long-term extension is something the team will pursue in this case.

Selected sixth overall in his draft year, Ekwonu faced questions about his ability to handle tackle duties at the NFL level rather than moving inside to guard. He has remained on the blindside despite struggling in pass protection for much of his pro career. The NC State product was charged with six sacks allowed as a rookie by PFF; that figure rose to 11 the following year before dropping to seven in 2024 (a season in which he missed two games).

While continued development in that regard (along with a reduction in penalties) will be needed, Ekwonu has lived up to expectations in terms of being a strong run blocker. The 24-year-old finished 11th among qualifying tackles last season with respect to PFF grade on that front. Continued strong play would be welcomed by a Panthers team looking to take a necessary step forward on offense in 2025 and beyond.

The Panthers have relied on right tackle Taylor Moton as a starter for the past seven years, and he remains under contract for 2025. An extension or restructure aimed at lowering his cap figure ($31.35MM) for this season could be in store, and it will be interesting to see if agreements can be worked out on that front and/or the Ekwonu one during the summer. For one more season, at least, that tandem will remain intact for Carolina.

This Ekwonu update comes as teams remain split with respect to fifth-year options on offensive lineman from the 2022 draft class. The top blocker from that year will remain in Charlotte through at last 2026, but his time there could stretch further based on Morgan’s extension comment.

Free Agency Notes: Queen, Seahawks, Packers, Panthers, Pats, Jackson, Bengals

March 10th, 2024 at 10:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens’ Roquan Smith payment always made it likely Patrick Queen would need to collect his money elsewhere. Now that Queen’s most recent defensive coordinator landed a coaching job, a logical fit has emerged. Indeed, many executives predicted (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) Queen would wind up reunited with Mike Macdonald in Seattle. With the Seahawks likely to again part ways with Bobby Wagner, spots are open. Jordyn Brooks, who joined Queen as a 2020 first-round LB pick, is also on the cusp of free agency. Queen is coming off his best season — a Pro Bowl showing alongside Smith — and turned a corner once the Bears trade commenced last year.

Checking in eighth on PFR’s top 50 free agents list (before the Chris Jones and Baker Mayfield deals), Queen could be in line to rival what Tremaine Edmunds received ($18MM per year, $41.8MM fully guaranteed) last year and land a top-five ILB contract. Barely 12 hours from the legal tampering period, here is the latest from the free agent scene:

Not known for splashy signings, the Packers do look like they are ready to upgrade at one position on the market. Green Bay appears likely to look at the top safeties available, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Although several veteran safeties became street free agents due to recent cuts (Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Jordan Poyer among them), this saturated market does include two young guns that should be paid well soon. It would not shock to see the Pack pursue Xavier McKinney and Kamren Curl, Fowler adds. Both safeties are going into their age-25 seasons, which could separate them on a crowded market.
The Panthers released Bradley Bozeman today, and while they will look for a center, expect a guard pursuit as well. This year’s market is big on guards, and The Athletic’s Joe Person writes the Panthers want to upgrade at a guard spot this offseason. Carolina lost both its starting guards — Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett — to major injuries last season, representing one of the many issues on offense in Bryce Young‘s rookie year. The team does not consider Ikem Ekwonu an option. Despite the 2022 first-rounder playing guard at points in college, ESPN.com’s David Newton indicates the new coaching staff is keeping him at left tackle.
The Patriots are open to bringing back J.C. Jackson, according to Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline. Jackson’s season ended early after the team placed the veteran cornerback on the reserve/NFI list. Should Jackson move past the mental health struggles that wrapped his first season back in New England, Pauline adds the team is open to another reunion despite last week’s release.
Seeing a revolving door form at right tackle (Bobby Hart, Riley Reiff, La’el Collins, Jonah Williams) over the past four years, the Bengals want that to stop. They may be ready to take a two-pronged approach by adding a veteran and a potential rookie heir apparent. “We would like to have somebody man the right tackle spot for a number of years, yes,” player personnel director Duke Tobin said (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.). “We’d like it to be a young guy that can come in and do that or a veteran that might have the opportunity to rebuild his career, something. But yes, we would like that to be manned on multiple fronts. But we’re focused with having it manned well enough to provide us a chance to win next year. That’s the No. 1 thing.” Williams is a free agent, and given the market he might have — as a chance to move to left tackle may await — it is unlikely the 2019 first-round pick is back in Cincinnati.

Matt Rhule Names Ikem Ekwonu Panthers’ Starting LT

August 16th, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers had been in the midst of a competition for the left tackle spot this offseason, but the winner of that battle has been named. Head coach Matt Rhule announced on Tuesday that Ikem Ekwonu will be the team’s starter at the blindside moving forward (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic).

The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise, considering the draft capital Carolina invested in Ekwonu. The No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft, the NC State alum was the first offensive player to hear his name called. Part of a trio of o-linemen in contention to be the first selected at their position (alongside Evan Neal and Charles Cross), Ekwonu received plenty of interest in the build-up to the draft, including from the Panthers.

Carolina has been in need of a long-term left tackle since Jordan Gross retired in 2014, so it came as little surprise when they added the six-foot-four, 320-pounder. Whether he would start at tackle or guard became an important question after his selection, however. Ekwonu played at both spots during his time with the Wolfpack, leading some to believe he would begin his career on the interior. The chances of that seemed to grow when 2021 third-rounder Brady Christensen took a significant number of starter’s reps at LT during minicamp.

That was still the case in practice as recently as last week. Overall, though, signs have pointed to Ekwonu ultimately winning out for the first-team spot. With the latter’s position confirmed, Person tweets that Christensen will now compete with 2019 fourth-rounder Michael Jordan for the starting left guard spot. Especially in the long-term, a left side of Ekwonu and Christensen should give Carolina some much-needed improvement up front.

It remains to be seen (at least officially) who will be the Panthers’ starting quarterback in Week 1. Whether Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold begins the season at the top of the depth chart, they will now know who is charged with protecting their blindside.

NFC South Rumors: Darnold, Christensen, Bucs, Murphy-Bunting, Werner

August 13th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Ely Allen

As Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield starts to run away with the starting job, questions have been raised about the future of incumbent starter Sam Darnold. When a rumor surfaced that Carolina may be shopping the fifth-year passer, general manager Scott Fitterer pulled Darnold aside to set him at ease, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic.

“I talked to Scott,” Darnold explained. “He said not to worry about it. To be honest, before he talked to me, I didn’t even see it. So I’m just gonna continue to do me and do what I can to put myself in a good position and put this team in a good position.”

Aiding Fitterer in convincing Darnold that he’s not likely to be dealt is Darnold’s $18.86MM salary. There could certainly be a team willing to make a call about Darnold if an injury occurs to their starter, but if the Panthers wanted to offload him, they’d likely have to eat some of his contract, as well.

There’s a good chance, though, that Darnold stays put. As Person explained, “in a league that saw only 12 teams make it through the 17-game regular season in 2021 with one quarterback,” the backup quarterback is still a crucially important position. And, while Darnold may not rank highly among the starters in today’s game, he certainly ranks as one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. The backup job appears to be his, too, as long as the Panthers continue to slow play the development of rookie third-round pick Matt Corral.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC South, starting with another note out of the Tar Heel state:

As certain as it seems that rookie first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu will start the 2022 season as the Panthers’ starting left tackle, Carolina is still giving last year’s third-round pick, Brady Christensen, plenty of snaps at the position. According to Person, Christensen took the majority of the first-team reps this past Thursday at the position. Christensen has a highly sought after versatility that gives the Panthers the option of playing him as a guard or a tackle. With Ekwonu still expected to win the starting job, perhaps offensive line coach James Campen just wants to ensure his best backup option has enough experience at one of the offensive line’s most important positions.
The Buccaneers‘ interior offensive line will look completely different in 2022 after the departures of Alex Cappa and Ali Marpet, as well as an injury that may cause center Ryan Jensen to miss a significant amount of time. Trade acquisition Shaq Mason will man the right guard position, while the left guard and center positions are still up in the air, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine. The center position is currently a battle between Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett. Leverett is also competing for the left guard starting job with Aaron Stinnie and rookie second-round pick Luke Goedeke. A tweet from Bucs staff writer Scott Smith, though, may hint at one of the positions. Smith reports that assistant head coach & run game coordinator Harold Goodwin “hopes a decision (at left guard) will be made prior to the third preseason game” so that the new left guard can “build chemistry with Donovan Smith and (Hainsey).” Smith is projected to be the starting left tackle, so this comment from Goodwin may point to the fact that Hainsey has won the position battle at center.
We recently did a rundown of the Buccaneers’ cornerbacks room, but an update, provided by Matt Matera of the Pewter Report, may give us some new information. We claimed that Sean Murphy-Bunting was in a competition with Jamel Dean for the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Carlton Davis, but that the loser of that battle would still likely get plenty of time as the top option at nickel. According to Matera, though, Murphy-Bunting is no longer working in the slot and is solely competing with Dean for the outside job. Matera adds that Dean seems to have the inside-track which will leave Murphy-Bunting coming off the bench.
It appears that Saints second-year linebacker Pete Werner has taken hold of the starting weak-side linebacker position next to Demario Davis, according to Jeff Duncan of nola.com. Duncan comments that the staff’s confidence in Werner is high enough that it assisted in their decision to allow former starter Kwon Alexander to walk in free agency.

Panthers Not Committing To Ikem Ekwonu As Week 1 Left Tackle

June 16th, 2022 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

When no tackles came off the board in the top five, the Panthers pounced on the opportunity to stop their revolving door at left tackle. The team has not had the same primary left tackle starter since Jordan Gross‘ 2014 retirement, and Ikem Ekwonu is positioned to be the long-term answer.

It is not certain that stretch will begin at this season’s outset. Matt Rhule said Ekwonu has a “long way to go” in his preparation to be an NFL left tackle, via Joe Person of The Athletic, who adds Brady Christensen took plenty of reps (nonpadded reps, but still) during the Panthers’ offseason program (subscription required).

Christensen’s three season-ending starts at left tackle appear to have impressed the Panthers’ staff, Person adds. The 2021 third-rounder has gained more momentum this offseason. Rhule said earlier this year he should have played the 2020 first-team All-American more last season, and offensive line coach James Campen said before the draft the BYU product would factor into the left tackle competition. Rhule said Thursday that Christensen is one of the best players on Carolina’s roster, via Person, who adds this should point to Christensen lining up as a first-stringer — at either left tackle or left guard — come Week 1 (Twitter link).

An offensive line featuring the team’s top left tackle prospect since Gross and the evidently improving Christensen alongside him at guard would make the most sense, from a need-filling standpoint. Ekwonu would not be out of place at guard, having played there in high school and at points during his stay at North Carolina State. If Rhule and Co. deem Ekwonu — a 2021 first-team All-American — not ready, a left side featuring Christensen at tackle and Michael Jordan at guard would seem to be the play. Carolina also has versatile veteran Cameron Erving (nine 2021 starts) entering his second season with the team.

It has been a while since a top-10 tackle draftee did not start in Week 1. Greg Robinson, the Rams’ No. 2 overall pick in 2014, is the most recent such investment to begin his rookie year on the bench. Training camp and the preseason will obviously be a much better gauge of Ekwonu’s readiness compared to various nonpadded workouts, and the No. 6 overall choice being a starter in Week 1 should still be considered more likely than not.

Panthers Sign Round 1 T Ikem Ekwonu

May 10th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three of the draft’s top six picks have agreed to their rookie deals. The Panthers announced Tuesday night they came to terms with Ikem Ekwonu, the No. 6 overall choice. This signing follows the Lions and Jets getting their top picks (Aidan Hutchinson and Sauce Gardner) under contract.

The slot deal is worth $27.6MM, fully guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Panthers will enjoy at least three years of their new left tackle being attached to a rookie contract — one that can run through 2026, via the fifth-year option.

Ekwonu panning out would fill one of the NFL’s longest-standing needs. The Panthers have started a different primary left tackle in each of the past nine seasons, seeing the position fall into disarray after Jordan Gross‘ 2014 retirement. Although Carolina made this setup work at points during this run, venturing to playoff brackets and Super Bowl 50, it has been one of the NFL’s least steady positions.

The Giants taking Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5 meant the Panthers would have their pick of the draft’s top tackles, and they went with the North Carolina State blocker. Ekwonu has experience at tackle and guard. He earned second-team All-ACC acclaim as a sophomore and first-team all-conference accolades last season. The in-state prospect, who is also a Charlotte native, is the top new addition to a Carolina line that is set to feature new starters in Bradley Bozeman and Austin Corbett. Ekwonu will attempt to carve out a long-term role opposite longtime right tackle starter Taylor Moton.

Panthers Select OT Ikem Ekwonu

April 28th, 2022 at 7:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The draft opened with four-straight defensive players being selected, but we finally have our first offensive pick. The Panthers have selected NC State offensive tackle Ikemefuna Ekwonu with the No. 6 pick.

In a draft that features a handful of top-level offensive tackles, “Ickey” was arguably the best. The lineman broke onto the scene during his 2020 season, and he established himself as a surefire first-round pick in 2021. Ekwonu earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC’s best blocker and was a unanimous All-American selection en route to his top-1o draft stock.

In the NFL, Ekwonu’s main development will come via his ability to harness his aggressiveness into controlled energy. Still, he should be an immediate starter, and his athletic ability makes him scheme-diverse, so he should be a long-term fixture at his new home. Plus, for what it’s worth, he also played offensive guard in college, and that versatility could come in handy during his career.

Ekwonu was a popular name during the pre-draft circuit, with the lineman generating interest from teams throughout the top-10. The Panthers had their eye on offensive line help, but there were some who wondered if the organization would move back in pursuit of a mid-first quarterback. Instead, they stuck with No. 6, and barring a trade, we won’t hear the team’s name called again until pick No. 137.

Giants Eyeing Sauce Gardner, Ikem Ekwonu?

April 28th, 2022 at 5:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Giants are still open to trading out of one of their top-10 draft slots, plans on how the team will proceed if they stay at those spots might be emerging.

Connected to tackles at No. 5 throughout the pre-draft process, the Giants are believed to have cornerback Ahmad Gardner as their most universally approved prospect, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy tweets. The Giants were connected to “Sauce” back in March and hosted the Cincinnati cover man on a visit.

As for their tackle preference, Charles Cross was the blocker most closely connected to the team in the days leading up to the draft. But Dunleavy adds Ikem Ekwonu is believed to be the team’s highest-ranked tackle — ahead of Cross and Evan Neal, respectively. The NFL smokescreen window obviously remains open, but both Gardner and Ekwonu would make sense for the Giants.

Ekwonu, who has played guard as well, has been connected to the Jaguars with the No. 1 pick. But Jacksonville is still viewed as likelier to take a defensive lineman to start the draft. The Jags and Lions going D-line would open the door to the Jets (No. 4) and Giants having corners and top-tier tackles on the board. The Giants had sizable presences at Ekwonu, Cross and Neal’s pro days.

The Texans have been the top five’s least discussed team, possessing a bevy of needs. Houston has, however, been connected to corners in the days leading up to the draft. Derek Stingley Jr. should be considered the favorite to go third, Dunleavy adds (on Twitter). This is not the first Texans-Stingley connection to surface. Since Lovie Smith‘s comments about his team’s need at corner, the Texans have been tied to the LSU and Cincinnati standouts. Stingley going third would likely leave the Jets with their pick of Gardner, the draft’s top tackles and this class’ third- and fourth-best D-linemen — generally believed to be Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jermaine Johnson.

The Giants have a need at right tackle — where Ekwonu, Cross or Neal would presumably step in as a Day 1 starter — but also are preparing to move James Bradberry‘s $21MM cap number off their books. Big Blue’s top corner for the past two seasons, Bradberry has no ties to the current regime and is going into an expensive contract year. Gardner would be an immediate replacement on a much cheaper deal. The Jets, who have also been linked to Garnder, could spoil any Giants plans here. But the NFC’s New York franchise might be OK with multiple prospects at 5.