The Carolina Panthers desperately need left tackle Ikem Ekwonu back, and their defeat to the Green Bay Packers made that painfully obvious.
Quarterback Bryce Young was sacked six times and hit nine times. That brings the Panthers' total to 11 sacks allowed over their last two games.
To make matters worse, Carolina is now without starting right tackle Taylor Moton for the remainder of the season.
Carolina Panthers need Ikem Ekwonu back, but there is still no clear timeline
While Ekwonu remains sidelined as he recovers from a torn patellar tendon, head coach Dave Canales recently provided an encouraging update on his progress. And the Panthers could certainly use some good news right now.
Canales shared positive news about Ekwonu's recovery.
"Every week seems like good milestones, good progression," Canales said. "I can't tell you exactly how close that is, how far that is. But I know that he's trending in the right direction."
So while there's reason for optimism, the Panthers still don't have a clear timetable for his return. That's frustrating considering how badly things have gone for his replacement.
Rasheed Walker, whom Carolina signed during the offseason after his stint with Green Bay, has struggled to protect Young's blindside.
Next Gen Stats credited Walker with allowing three sacks and seven quarterback pressures against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 alone. One of those sacks led to a Young fumble they returned for a touchdown.
#Panthers LT Rasheed Walker, according to @NextGenStats, has allowed a team-leading 34 QB pressures (including four sacks) on 257 pass sets.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) October 26, 2026
Seven pressures (including three sacks) came against Tampa Bay.
Carolina Panthers must change something on their offensive line, with or without Ikem Ekwonu
And things didn't get much better against Walker's former team on Thursday Night Football. That could lead to changes, with or without Ekwonu.
Getting Ekwonu back won't magically fix every problem along the offensive line, but having a healthy starting left tackle would certainly make things easier.
The Panthers entered the season knowing they would be without Ekwonu and Moton for at least the first few weeks. General manager Dan Morgan tried to prepare for that situation by signing Walker and using a first-round pick on Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.
At the time, those moves looked like pretty solid insurance policies. But Carolina is now being forced to rely on both players for much longer than it originally hoped.
Moton had just returned from an offseason blood clot issue when he suffered a fractured fibula and significant ankle damage against Tampa Bay.
And the problems don't stop there.
Starting left guard Damien Lewis missed Thursday's game with a knee injury, forcing Corey Bullock into the starting lineup. Bullock then suffered a quadriceps injury in the third quarter, leaving Jake Curhan to finish the game.
For now, Carolina will have to find answers with the players it has available.
But after watching Young get sacked 11 times in five days, it's hard to imagine anyone in that building looking forward to Ekwonu's return more than the Panthers' quarterback.
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