What's Next for Ickey Ekwonu?
Is a position change the future for the in-state offensive lineman?
If you asked 100 people what the most important position on offense is other than the quarterback, I’d be willing to bet that more than 50 of them would say left tackle.
Panthers fans know the struggles of not having a reliable left tackle, the revolving door following Jordan Gross was not kind to Carolina’s quarterbacks over the years.
Back when the 2022 NFL Draft rolled around, Carolina thought they had finally solved this issue.
With the Sixth Overall Pick, the team selected offensive tackle Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu, from local N.C. State. This was the highest pick Carolina made since adding Cam Newton back in 2011.
Ekwonu’s selection was meant to finally put an end to the left tackle issues that plagued this team. And, for a while, it looked to have paid off.
After a baptism by fire in Ekwonu’s first career start, the young left tackle gradually improved his play over the course of the last four seasons.
In fact, Carolina felt confident enough in Ekwonu’s improvement to have picked up his rookie fifth year option, allowing for potential long-term negotiations to take place.
Unfortunately, all of this positive momentum came to a halt in Carolina’s playoff loss to the L.A. Rams. Early in the game, Ekwonu suffered a ruptured patellar tendon - a significant injury with a lengthy return process.
The initial timeline for Ekwonu’s recovery was set at six to twelve months, which meant a lot of uncertainty for the future of the left tackle position.
During the offseason, Carolina had a clear mission to address the near and distant future of the left tackle position.
In free agency, Dan Morgan and Co. landed OT (offensive tackle) Rasheed Walker on a one-year deal from the Green Bay Packers. Walker has had plenty of NFL game experience and can start if needed.
Then, in the NFL Draft, the Panthers added a SportCLT favorite target for the team in Georgia OT Monroe Freeling. While he’s a bit inexperienced in terms of starts, Freeling has traits that are impossible to find unless you draft them early.
So what happens to Ekwonu now? During mandatory minicamp, Head Coach Dave Canales seemed optimistic about Ekwonu’s chances at returning this season:
“I’m not going to give a specific timeline on Ickey, we expect him back at some point in the season. He’s crushing it, week in and week out, and he’s excited about it…the athletic trainers are excited about his progress right now”
- Dave Canales on Ekwonu’s recovery timetable
It’s excellent news if Ekwonu is able to return at some point during the 2026 season. With reinforcements in place at left tackle, however, it’ll be interesting to see where Ickey would suit up.
The way I see it, there are four potential paths for Ekwonu’s career moving forward, provided he makes a full recovery:
Left tackle
Guard
Right tackle
Play for another organization
Through the rest of this piece, I’ll be looking at what each path would mean for Ickey, from a likelihood and a contract standpoint.
First, we need to look at the current roster. Below is the entire offensive line room courtesy of Ourlads.
Ekwonu will almost certainly begin the season on IR or PUP, giving Freeling or Walker his starting spot. If/when he returns healthy to the lineup, that’s when the discussion can begin.
Left Tackle
It’s going to be tough for Ekwonu to regain his spot as the starter. Carolina drafted Monroe Freeling for that reason - multiple times this offseason the team has stated they aren’t interested in adding backups in Round 1.
Even if Freeling doesn’t win the starting LT (left tackle) job in training camp, which I expect he will, Rasheed Walker has enough experience at LT to keep the offense running smoothly.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Walker’s pass protection at LT has been better than Ekwonu’s as of late. According to ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate, Walker was the 11th best pass-blocking tackle in the entire NFL during the 2025 season.
Ultimately, unless disaster strikes or Monroe Freeling really disappoints during his rookie season, the spots just aren’t there for Ekwonu to be the current or future starter at left tackle.
As a pending unrestricted free agent, left tackle would get Ekwonu the highest payday. However, it may not be the likeliest spot for Ekwonu to stick around.
Guard
Guard might be better for Ekwonu’s chances at sticking around in Carolina.
Currently, the team has both spots locked down tight with Lewis and Hunt. The issue is that Robert Hunt is on the wrong side of 30. And very expensive.
As of today, Robert Hunt has the largest cap hit on the entire Panthers roster, according to Over the Cap. Hunt will be making $34.9 million for his services in 2026.
His play softens the financial blow a good bit, but we’re coming off of a season in which Hunt was injured in Week 2, and didn’t return until Carolina’s playoff game.
Going forward, Hunt could become a cap casualty if he doesn’t stay fully healthy.
This is where Ekwonu comes in.
During the 2022 NFL Draft process, many evaluators, myself included, entertained the thought of Ekwonu playing along the interior of the offensive line at some point in his career.
Ekwonu’s powerful frame lends itself to being able to hold up against the heavier and stronger interior rushers. At guard, Ekwonu also wouldn’t have to worry about getting beat in space, which has continued to be one of his weaknesses.
If Ekwonu is willing to stick around through this season, re-signing on a modest deal, he could eventually be the Robert Hunt replacement - still making good money and sticking with the hometown team.
As for potentially replacing Damien Lewis, the play that fans saw last year from Lewis might warrant an extension. He’s a year younger than Hunt and has been very reliable throughout his tenure in Carolina.
Guard might end up being Ekwonu’s best bet at sticking around in Carolina, but there’s still another position he could help address in the long term.
Right Tackle
It’s no secret that Taylor Moton is getting up there in age. Despite signing a recent extension and Moton’s statement this offseason that he isn’t ready to call it quits, he can’t play at an elite level forever.
“Retirement’s not on my mind right now”
- Taylor Moton on playing in 2026
The 32 year-old tackle has been a steadying presence on the right side of the offensive line for almost a decade, and the hope is that he continues to do so.
If Carolina’s staff, however, wants to have a long-term replacement plan in place, there probably isn’t a better answer than Ekwonu.
While he’s primarily been on the left side of the line, Ickey Ekwonu’s size and familiarity within the Panthers system can give him a leg up on any potential position changes.
For Ekwonu, right tackle could be a good contractual situation as well. While right tackles don’t get paid as much as left tackles traditionally, the gap has started to close within recent years.
Being a short-term swing offensive lineman and eventually Carolina’s long-term answer at right tackle could be a lucrative way to stay in Charlotte.
New Team
All of the above scenarios require some “what-ifs” to pull off. What could become the reality of Carolina’s offensive line is that Freeling plays well, the guards continue to be stable, and Taylor Moton’s play is timeless.
If this this the case, Ekwonu’s career might be best served for another organization.
As painful as it would be to see another former 1st Round Pick be traded away from Carolina, if the team is able to net a substantial return, WITH the savings against the cap that Ekwonu would have cost, I think the team would have to consider it.
It’s rare that starting-caliber offensive linemen are ever available for trade, especially within the season. If a team offers Carolina a Day 2 draft selection, that’s a hard price to ignore.
Another reality could be that Ekwonu and his representation want to test free agency. As mentioned above, Ekwonu would have been on his rookie fifth year option - with no current contract extension in place.
Hitting free agency as a starting left tackle would likely give Ekwonu multiple suitors - provided his health checks out.
However, as Panthers fans saw with the Rasheed Walker deal (1 year, ~ $4 million), the market may not be as favorable as a possible extension with your current team.
There are a lot of potential paths for Ickey Ekwonu moving forward. Ideally Carolina is able to keep a home-grown talent, but if other teams call, it might be hard for the Panthers and Ekwonu to ignore.
The best thing we can hope is that Ickey returns to full strength, and wherever he ends up, continues to be the absolute mauler of a tackle that we’ve come to enjoy.