The Carolina Panthers may have a tough decision brewing at right tackle once Monroe Freeling is healthy again.
On Monday, head coach Dave Canales was asked what the plan looks like after Taylor Moton returned Sunday and reclaimed his spot on the right side of the offensive line. Moton, back after dealing with blood clots in his right lung, played all 79 snaps in Carolina’s 25-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles and slid directly into the starting lineup after being activated on Saturday.
That move bumped Freeling, the rookie who had started the Panthers’ first four games, to the sideline because of a knee injury. The question now is whether that job goes right back to him when he’s available.
"There’s a bunch of scenarios we’re still working through," Canales told reporters. "T-Mo looked like T-Mo.
[Left tackle] Rasheed Walker played his best game. We’ll see where Monroe is at, physically, and we’ll go from there.
"This is a first-round pick for us. This is a high-value player for us.
We’re gonna do what’s best for the Panthers-and we’re gonna put the best group, healthiest group out there. So that’s a good challenge to Monroe-to see how he responds to the training, the treatment and to see if he shows us how ready he is to play and how we play him."
Freeling entered the league as the Panthers’ 19th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after earning second-team All-SEC honors at Georgia. Carolina’s original idea may have been to let him develop behind Walker and Moton, but Moton’s blood clot issue opened the door at the start of training camp and pushed Freeling into the lineup earlier than expected.
The results so far have been uneven. According to Pro Football Focus, Freeling gave up 15 pressures on 161 opportunities during Weeks 1 through 4. His 57.9 overall offensive grade ranks 61st among 74 qualifying offensive tackles.
The Panthers now have a clean example of what the line looks like with Moton back in place. What happens when Freeling is ready to return is the next part they still have to sort out.
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