Panthers Have Glaring Roster Weakness Entering Week 1

The Carolina Panthers enter the 2026 season with all sorts of questions, especially around whether the team can duplicate the success from a year ago. Carolina reached the playoffs with a record of 8-9, taking a step forward in the building process. But entering this season, the Panthers are dealing with some injuries to key positions, and this may put them in a tough spot early on in the year. ESPN NFL analyst Mike Kaye revealed what the biggest weakness for the Panthers roster will be this season. This includes the trenches on both sides of the ball, partly due to the injuries that have occurred. "Depth in the trenches. With left tackle Ikem Ekwonu (knee), right tackle Taylor Moton (blood clot) and defensive end Tershawn Wharton (neck) all likely to be sidelined for a while, Carolina will need to depend on new and unproven players in their stead. Monroe Freeling, the Panthers' 2026 first-round draft pick, will replace Moton on the right side, while Ekwonu is replaced by Rasheed Walker. But the depth behind those players is suboptimal," Kaye wrote. Carolina is in a bad spot entering the season, with these crucial positions being seen as a weakness. Protecting Young is easily the biggest priority for the Panthers this season, and with there already being injuries, it could make life even tougher. Freeling will be thrust into a massive role early in his career, giving the Panthers a chance to see how the first-round pick will fare. While this is far from ideal for Carolina, it's the reality of the situation that they are in. Injuries are part of the game, and the Panthers will just need to adjust in the best possible way. Carolina has some depth, but it's mainly a mixture of unproven players. This could spell some trouble for the team, especially early on in the year. Carolina has some tough matchups through the first six weeks of the season, including against the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If the Panthers can keep things together through the first part of the year, it could make a big difference down the line. And once Carolina gets healthy, this group could be in good shape, but managing until then may be tougher than expected. 2026 will test this franchise, but it could be a test of resilience, which all winning teams need throughout a season.