Nic Scourton’s second NFL season may already be over before it really got started.
The Carolina Panthers pass rusher, who came into the league as a second-round pick in 2025 after starring at Texas A&M, was carted off during minicamp practice on July 23, 2026 after suffering a leg injury. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reported that Scourton was hurt during drills, though there was no immediate word on whether the injury was contact or non-contact.
Wolfe later added that Scourton was unable to put any pressure on his right leg, that trainers were examining his right knee and that teammates nearby were visibly emotional. Minutes after that, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Scourton suffered a torn ACL, said the injury “left him in tears,” and noted that he is done for the upcoming season.
Rapoport also reported that Scourton will seek a second opinion, but the early signs point to a devastating setback for a player many around the Panthers expected to make a major Year 2 leap. Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer called Scourton “in the Top 10 of players [the Panthers] couldn't afford to lose for any bit of time this season.”
That kind of reaction says plenty about how important Scourton had become to Carolina’s plans. He was one of the most talked-about players on the roster heading into this season, and the loss lands hard for a team that was counting on him to take a big step forward.
Scourton’s path to this point started in the Bryan/College Station area, where he attended high school before heading to Purdue for his first two college seasons. There, he tied for the Big 10 lead in sacks as a sophomore, which made him a prized transfer target when he moved to Texas A&M in 2024.
He didn’t quite match those sack totals with the Aggies, but he still led Texas A&M in sacks that year and remained a disruptive presence off the edge. His tape, production and overall profile were enough to make him a second-round selection in 2025, and he delivered enough as a rookie to be viewed as one of Carolina’s most promising young players.
Now the focus shifts to the injury itself and what the second opinion reveals. For the Panthers, though, the fear is already obvious: a breakout season for Scourton may have just been wiped out before it could begin.
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