The Carolina Panthers have suffered a big loss as they opened up training camp ahead of the 2026 season.
The Carolina Panthers opened up training camp on Thursday with rookies and veterans all reporting. As they prepare for the 2026 season, coming off an NFC South title in 2025, the spirits were high.
But during practice, the vibes took a turn for the worst.
Pass rusher Nic Scourton went down on a team drill and appeared to suffer a major knee injury as he had to be carted off the field. Now, hours later there is official word on the Scourton injury and it's not good.
Per the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Cameron Wolfe, Scourton suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. The report also states that Scourton will look for a second opinion before it all becomes official.
The pass outside linebacker went down late in Thursday's practice on a wet field. Right away, it looked grim for the second-year player. It was a tough moment overall, as head coach Dave Canales explained after practice.
"They care about each other," Canales said. "Whenever you're in a group of people doing something hard together, it has a way of creating a special bond. Between all the workouts and going through a full season and an offseason and all that, it means something to the guys. I'm proud of that."
Scourton had a good rookie season with Carolina a year ago, finishing with 47 tackles, five sacks and nine quarterback hits. He appeared in 17 total games and started eight games as he developed into a starter for Carolina's defense.
The goal for the Panthers was to pair him with pass rusher Jaelan Phillips who the team signed in the offseason. Carolina envisioned that they would have this duo all season long to energize their pass rush and add a new element to the defense.
With the injury, Carolina signed Cam Gill who now returns to the roster here in 2026.
But Canales believes in the Panthers' depth.
"We've got depth," Canales said of the potential future without Scourton. "That's why we keep bringing in guys. ... If it comes to that [a serious injury] we have guys that we trust."
