Panthers' Pass Rush Takes a Hit, Nic Scourton Tears ACL on C...

Panthers’ Pass Rush Takes a Hit, Nic Scourton Tears ACL on Camp’s Opening Day

The Carolina Panthers’ training camp got off to a painful start Thursday when second-year pass rusher Nic Scourton went down with a serious knee injury during team drills and had to be carted off the field. ESPN reported that Scourton suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire 2026 season.

A reporter on the scene described the injury as significant, noting that teammates around Scourton appeared visibly emotional and frustrated in the moments after it happened.

Head coach Dave Canales confirmed after practice that Scourton suffered a right knee injury and said further testing was needed before the team could discuss the severity, with Scourton set to undergo imaging that afternoon.

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The injury is a significant blow for Carolina’s defense. Scourton, CarolinaÂ’s No. 51 overall pick out of Texas A&M in the 2025 NFL Draft, tied Derrick Brown for the team lead in sacks as a rookie with five, despite making just eight official starts. He finished his rookie season with 47 tackles, seven tackles for loss, nine QB hits, one pass defensed and a forced fumble across 17 games. He was slated to start opposite big free-agent addition Jaelan Phillips this season.

Princely Umanmielen and Patrick Jones II are candidates to step into a larger role in Scourton’s absence. Umanmielen, a third-round pick out of Ole Miss last year, recorded 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 16 games as a rookie without a start. Jones signed with Carolina after four years with the Vikings but played just four games in 2025 before a season-ending back injury, totaling nine tackles and one sack.

The Panthers entered camp with real optimism after winning the NFC South and investing heavily on defense this offseason, including a four-year, $120 million deal for Phillips — the largest free-agent contract handed out by any team this offseason — plus a three-year, $42 million deal for linebacker Devin Lloyd. Now, general manager Dan Morgan may need to look outside the building to shore up a thin pass-rush room.

Panthers' Pass Rush Takes a Hit, Nic Scourton Tears ACL on Camp's Opening Day was originally published on wfnz.com