Panthers OT Ikem Ekwonu tears patellar tendon, faces surgery

Field Level Media|published: Sun 11th January, 13:38 2026

Oct 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) on the bench in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu tore his right patellar tendon in Saturday's NFC wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams and will undergo surgery, head coach Dave Canales said Sunday.

His outlook for the start of the 2026 season wasn't clear immediately.

Ekwonu, 25, played just eight snaps before the knee injury on Saturday.

"We'll give you more of an update," Canales said after the game. "They've got to do all the MRIs and all that stuff, but I think it's a significant injury, and something that we're going to have to go into the offseason with."

The Panthers selected Ekwonu with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft from North Carolina State. The Panthers picked up his $17.6 million fifth-year team option for the 2026 season, and the injury puts a long-term extension in question.

In his four seasons with Carolina, Ekwonu has appeared in 64 games (all starts) and played nearly 100% of offensive snap counts. He has two fumble recoveries.

--Field Level Media

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