Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive lineman Brady Christensen (70) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers' offensive line depth will be put on test, once again

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Felipe Vieira | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 8:48 AM ET

During the offseason, Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan did an excellent job maintaining the offensive line depth by re-signing Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett, and Cade Mays, along with extending Taylor Moton and keeping the other three starters under contract. The offensive line was so deep that it was hard to imagine that we would have problems with it.

However, along with the disastrous result against the Bills, the Panthers also suffered several injuries on the offensive line, including Taylor Moton (knee), Cade Mays (knee/ankle), and Brady Christensen (Achilles). In Christensen’s case, we’ve already received the bad news that he’s out for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

Center Cade Mays did not practice on Wednesday, and Dave Canales didn’t sound optimistic about his availability for Sunday. Mays injured his ankle in the middle of the game against the Buffalo Bills, forcing Austin Corbett to step in for him. With Brady Christensen already out for the season, the situation has become even more complicated.

The good and reliable Taylor Moton was another player who left the game after injuring his knee. Despite that, following today’s press conference, Dave Canales seemed more confident that the veteran right tackle could be available against Green Bay.

Another key offensive lineman, guard Chandler Zavala, was placed on Injured Reserve in Week 4 after suffering a knee injury, but he has now been designated for return. His practice window is open, but he’s not expected to be ready yet.

Heading into Week 9 against Green Bay, the Panthers will have their seventh different offensive line combination to start a game this season. The expected starters against the Packers are LT Ikem Ekwonu, LG Damien Lewis, C Austin Corbett, RG Jake Curhan, and RT Taylor Moton. The main question revolves around Austin Corbett, who could line up at center in Cade Mays’ spot or play right guard, position that he played from 2020 through 2023.

The indication is that Jake Curhan will take over at right guard, as we saw during the game against the Bills at the end of game after all of the injuries. Curhan was an undrafted free agent in 2021 with the Seahawks, later spent time with Chicago, Arizona and made his Panthers debut last Sunday.

The backups for this game are expected to be Nick Samac (C) and Yosh Nijman (OT), with Brandon Walton (OT) likely being elevated from the practice squad again, along with Charles Saahdiq (OG).

The Panthers will face a strong defensive front led by Micah Parsons, who has 7 sacks, 8 quarterback hits, and 27 hurries this season. On the opposite side, Rashan Gary also has 7 sacks, 6 hits and 13 hurries. Bryce Young, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, will likely have limited mobility to escape pressure, making an already tough task even tougher.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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