The Carolina Panthers are trying to shock the world and pull off a playoff victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. Unfortunately, the offense may have suffered a huge loss early in the contest after Ikem Ekwonu was forced to exit with a leg injury.

Ekwonu, who is a 25-year-old left tackle, sustained an apparent right knee injury. It's not clear exactly how serious the injury may be, but it looks as though his knee buckled on the play.

“Injury News: On the Panthers' 2nd drive, star LT Ikem Ekwonu went down with a knee injury. It doesn't look good at all; his knee buckled underneath him. Prayers up.”

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Shortly after leaving the game, the Panthers officially ruled Ekwonu out for the remainder of the contest, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Carolina will have to rely on Yosh Nijman at the left tackle position.

“Panthers LT Ikem Ekwonu is ruled out after suffering a knee injury in the first quarter.”

This is a big loss for the Panthers, as Ekwonu is one of the best players on the offense. Not only that, he's been one of the most consistent and durable players on the roster since joining the club in 2022. In four years in the NFL, Ikem Ekwonu has played in 64 of his available 68 career games.

Carolina will have to evaluate Ekwonu's injury in the coming days before announcing his official status. Ideally, it's not as serious as it appears, and the star left tackle won't miss too much time in the offseason nursing the injury.