Ikem Ekwonu suffered a serious knee injury in the first quarter of the Carolina Panthers' 34-31 playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. On Sunday, it was announced that he must undergo surgery.
The decision to undergo surgery for his ruptured patellar tendon threatens Ekwonu's availability for the Panthers' 2026-27 campaign, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It will largely depend on the rehab process the 25-year-old left tackle will endure.
“Panthers LT Ikem Ekwonu suffered [a] ruptured patellar tendon during Saturday's playoff loss. The injury will require surgery and threaten his availability for the start of next season, at least.”
That means Ekwonu will have to spend most of the offseason recovering from knee surgery. It's not an ideal situation, but it is necessary. Depending on his recovery time, the Panthers might have to find a short-term solution at left tackle to begin the 2026-27 season.
Ikem Ekwonu has been incredibly durable throughout most of his career. Before the playoff game against the Rams on Saturday, the Panthers' star had only missed four total games in his years in the league.
The silver lining for Ekwonu is that the injury occurred in the playoffs. He won't be missing out for an entire season, and should eventually return to action once he's healthy. From the sounds of it, the former first-round pick could miss anywhere between one and four games to begin next season, which isn't the end of the world for the Panthers.
Keep an eye out for more updates regarding Ikem Ekwonu's status throughout the offseason. Carolina will likely keep tabs on his progress through rehab after the surgery.
