Panthers Tackle Taylor Moton Suffers Broken Leg Weeks After Returning From Blood Clot Diagnosis

Carolina Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton was carted off the field during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sustaining a fractured fibula in his second game back after a previous diagnosis of blood clots.

Moton went down in the third quarter of the 43-13 defeat to the Buccaneers. He appeared to get tangled with opposing players during a sack of quarterback Bryce Young. Teammates immediately signaled for training staff to attend to him on the field. As he was being carted off, Moton offered a thumbs-up to the crowd.

Head coach Dave Canales confirmed the severity of the injury, stating Moton will be out indefinitely. Canales referred to Moton as the team's 'fun uncle' and expressed his dismay at the setback.

The broken leg comes just weeks after Moton made his return to the field, having previously been sidelined due to blood clots discovered in his lungs in June. The diagnosis occurred while Moton was hosting a youth football camp in his native Lansing, Michigan. At the time, he had been experiencing congestion and coughing up blood.

Moton was placed on blood thinners, which kept him sidelined for months. He recently told reporters that he never considered retirement and instead weighed the risks and benefits of coming off the medication to resume playing.

"The chances are relatively low right now [of a relapse] after being on the blood thinners for three months," Moton said. "So I just decided to take those risks and get back to it. I love the sport and I love being in the locker room with the guys. I'm just happy I was able to get back to work."

Without Moton, the Panthers turned to rookie Monroe Freeling, a first-round draft pick from Georgia. The NFL and its players' union are reportedly reviewing the handling of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts' recent blood clot diagnosis, which has sidelined him for the remainder of the 2026 season.