The Carolina Panthers will have taken stock of everything on their bye week. Now it's back to business, but center Luke Fortner is walking back into an increasingly precarious situation.
Fortner has not played well over the first four games. He flashed some promise as a run blocker, but his pass protection is nowhere near the required standard.
When the offensive line's anchor isn't stout, everything else can unravel. And the free-agent signing's inconsistency is having an adverse ripple effect.
Carolina Panthers could demote Luke Fortner if his struggles continue
If the same trend continues, the calls to install rookie fifth-round pick Sam Hecht into the starting lineup will be deafening.
Hecht was seen as a draft steal, and after a strong preseason overall, the Kansas State product set himself up well. The Panthers ultimately went with experience, but if Fortner continues to underperform, head coach Dave Canales will have no choice but to throw the first-year pro into the fire.
That may be the plan either way. But it might have to happen sooner than expected.
General manager Dan Morgan took a big risk this offseason by letting Cade Mays walk in free agency. He signed a modest contract with the Detroit Lions, but the Panthers thought they could get similar or better production for less.
Fortner signed a one-year, $2.75 million deal with an $850,000 signing bonus and $1.32 million guaranteed. That screams short-term stopgap, and drafting Hecht gave them a long-term development project to mold.
Sometimes, cheaper is not better. The Panthers are finding that out the hard way.
Sam Hecht's progress gives Carolina Panthers every reason to consider change
Few centers in the league are playing worse. Fortner looks lost at times, and he is a weak link opposing defensive fronts are targeting with alarming frequency. Quarterback Bryce Young is playing so well despite facing one of the league's highest pressure rates, which is astonishing.
Time could be running out for Fortner. However, if the Panthers are planning to make a change at center, they would be wise to wait a week.
Carolina makes the trip to Lincoln Financial Field this weekend to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. That puts the Panthers' interior offensive line squarely in the crosshairs of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, one of the league's most dominant defensive tackle tandems.
Asking Hecht to handle this in his first NFL start wouldn't be wise. That said, it's Tampa Bay Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea after that, so there is never really a good time.
Either way, Fortner is under pressure to make the improvements needed to cement his starting role for the rest of 2026.
But it already looks like his time in Carolina will be a one-year arrangement.
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