Ikem Ekwonu Injury: Ruptures patellar tendon

Panthers coach Dave Canales confirmed that Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee during Saturday's 34-31 loss to the Rams in the wild-card round, Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer reports.

The typical recovery timeline for a ruptured patellar tendon is six to 12 months, leaving Ekwonu's status up in the air for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 2022 first-rounder has started 64 regular-season games in four years with Carolina, including 15 starts at left tackle in 2025. Ekwonu is set to enter next season on a one-year, $17.56 million contract after the Panthers exercised his fifth-year option last April.