The Carolina Panthers could be getting some much-needed help along their offensive line from Brady Christensen, and head coach Dave Canales may have some difficult decisions to make because of it.
Carolina has struggled to protect quarterback Bryce Young in recent weeks. The signal-caller has taken 11 sacks over the last two games, including six in the Panthers' loss to the Green Bay Packers.
And with Canales also acknowledging that the coaching staff has discussed other changes along the offensive line, Christensen's return could give Carolina some interesting options moving forward.
Brady Christensen's return gives Carolina Panthers an interesting protection dilemma
Carolina has dealt with injuries to several offensive linemen, including Damien Lewis, Taylor Moton, and Ikem Ekwonu. Corey Bullock also suffered a quad injury against Green Bay, leaving the Panthers with even more uncertainty up front.
Christensen gives Canales another experienced option who can step in at multiple positions, depending on where the team needs him most.
And judging by the head coach's latest comments, Christensen appears to be making encouraging progress.
"He's healthy, he's strong, he's fit, he's ready to go," Canales said.
Of course, returning to practice doesn't necessarily mean Christensen will immediately return to the starting lineup. The Panthers still need to evaluate how he responds to football activities after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Still, given how poorly Carolina has protected Young recently, it's hard to imagine the coaching staff won't at least consider giving Christensen a role once he's ready.
Carolina Panthers have to shake things up, and Brady Christensen could be the answer
Rasheed Walker, Luke Fortner and Robert Hunt have all struggled in pass protection this season.
That leaves Canales with an interesting decision. Does he use Christensen strictly as insurance for his injured linemen, or does he give the veteran an opportunity to compete for a starting role even when some of those players return?
Given Christensen's experience, the second option deserves serious consideration.
The Panthers also have to be careful about rushing him back after Christensen suffered a torn Achilles during the 2025 season, and a hamstring injury kept him out of action this year, as he hasn't played a regular-season snap in 2026.
Even so, Carolina's upcoming matchup against the Denver Broncos makes the situation even more urgent.
The Panthers can use their 21-day evaluation window to determine exactly where Christensen fits, but Canales doesn't have three weeks to figure out how to better protect Young.
And if Christensen looks healthy enough to contribute immediately, the Panthers may struggle to justify keeping one of their most versatile offensive linemen on the sidelines while protection continues to struggle.
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