Panthers LT Ikem Ekwonu Ruptured His Patellar Tendon

It’s an unfortunate and significant injury for Ekwonu and Carolina, as due to the timing this injury will impact next season for Ekwonu. A torn patellar tendon can have a shorter recovery than a torn ACL, but players often say the process to get back to 100 percent is more grueling. 

To make things worse, Ekwonu will be heading into a contract year in 2026, complicating things for Carolina. 

Ekwonu, 25, was a first-round pick by the Panthers, who used the No. 6 overall pick on him in the 2022 draft. 

He finished the third year of a four-year, $27,568,051 contract that included a $17,229,491 signing bonus when the Panthers exercised his fifth-year option worth $17,560,000 fully guaranteed for 2026.

In 2025, Ekwonu appeared in 15 games for the Panthers with 15 starts at left tackle. Pro Football Focus had him graded as the No. 37 tackle out of 89 qualifying players. 

We’ll have more on Ekwonu as the news is available.