Things did not look promising for Ikem Ekwonu when he left the Carolina Panthers' wild-card playoff matchup against the Los Angeles Rams early on. Dave Canales said after the agonizing defeat that the problem was significant, and the head coach confirmed the worst fears of everyone associated with the organization on locker room clear-out day.
Canales revealed that Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon. It was not the same injury he'd been playing through over the second half of 2025, and he will have surgery before embarking on a lengthy rehabilitation period. It's a body blow for all involved, especially considering the formidable left tackle was set to secure a contract extension this offseason.
General manager Dan Morgan revealed that the plan was to secure Ekwonu's future before the 2026 season began. That would have been north of $20 million per year in the current climate. Now, the No. 6 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft may have to wait before getting the extra financial security he's looking for.
Carolina Panthers bracing for a lengthy spell without Ikem Ekwonu
That will no longer be Ekwonu's primary focus. He'll have the surgery and then begin strengthening the knee to get back sooner than expected. After that, it'll be ramping up the contact phase before finally getting the all-clear to resume football activities in a competitive setting.
According to Bryson P. Lesniak, MD, and Asheesh Bedi, MD, of SportsMD.com, Ekwonu could return to some form of physical activity in 4 to 6 months. It will take longer to rebuild the strength element to its former level. That can take up to a year, though Joe Person of The Athletic noted that former tight end Jimmy Graham returned in nine months after suffering the same complication.
TE Jimmy Graham, while with SEA, ruptured his patellar tendon in November 2015 and was back the following August during Seahawks' training camp and played in Week 1.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) January 11, 2026
Every athlete recovers differently. But 9-month recovery for Graham. https://t.co/O5PQoYkzO7
Obviously, everyone heals differently. Ekwonu is also on the larger side as an offensive lineman rather than a tight end, which puts more strain on the knee. The Panthers will take things with extreme caution and give the edge protector all the time he needs to make a full recovery. But there are many unknowns right now.
The timing of this couldn't be worse. The Panthers head into the offseason facing the prospect of not having their starting blindside enforcer for most of 2026. As for Ekwonu? He'll know that the hope he had of securing a lucrative long-term deal has fallen by the wayside.
There is a long, hard road ahead for Ekwonu. He'll tackle it with his customary enthusiasm and determination. Hopefully, fans will see him back at some stage during the 2026 campaign.