Panthers' Tackle Puzzle with Injuries | NFL News

0:00On September 7th, the Carolina Panthers are dealing with a bit of a tackle situation. Right now, Monroe Freeling is holding down the right side, and Rashid Walker is on the left. This is because their usual starters, Taylor Moton and Iqam Equanue are both sideline with injuries. Equanue tore his patellar tendon back in January, and Moton has been dealing with blood clots. Moton could potentially be back around week 5, and Iqamue the week after, but there's no firm timeline. The team is optimistic, though both be back on the field by the end of the season, which brings up an interesting question about who will be starting, when everyone's healthy. Normally, if you're a starter and get hurt, you reclaim your spot when you're healthy. Equanue and Moton were the guys before, so you think they'd be back in. But Walker has been playing well at left tackle, and Freeling, a high draft pick, is seen as the future on the right side. The team is looking at a few options. One possibility is that Iqamue might not immediately jump back into a starting role

1:02if Walker or Freeling are performing well. Given the severity of his injury, it might be smart to ease him back in. Moton, on the other hand, is a top tier tackle, and his injury wasn't football-related, so getting him back in seems more straightforward. The ideal scenario might involve shifting Freeling back to the left, and putting Martin on the right. However, Benching Freeling, after he's gotten starting experience, could hurt his development. This leaves Walker, who is on a one-year deal as the most likely player to be on the outside looking in. It's a good problem to have, but definitely a puzzle the Panthers need to solve. You've been listening to NFL News today. AI-powered flabull coverage.