Tershawn Wharton’s Neck Surgery Shifts Panthers’ Defensive Line Plans

Defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, 27, had neck surgery in May after reporting discomfort. The Panthers will place him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list for training camp and evaluate him weekly. Wharton signed a three-year, $45 million deal last spring after five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2025 he appeared in nine games, posting 36 tackles and two sacks, but missed eight contests with toe and hamstring injuries.

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Carolina added depth with second-round defensive tackle Lee Hunter (6-3, 318 lb, 17 TFLs) in the 2026 draft and fifth-round Cam Jackson (6-6, 328 lb, nine rookie tackles) in 2025. First-round tackle Monroe Freeling also joins. Veterans Derrick Brown and nose tackle Bobby Brown III stay on the line. Wharton’s 2025 output—nine games, 36 tackles, two sacks—underscores the void.

Dave Canales: Tershawn Wharton "recovering great" after neck surgery

Wharton’s surgery leaves a gap at interior defensive tackle, prompting the Panthers to accelerate integrating Hunter and Jackson. Coach Dave Canales said the timing was necessary for the season schedule and the team will assess Wharton weekly, but offered no firm activation date. He emphasized the “big, young bodies” must compete for snaps and sustain the pass-rush while Brown and Brown III shoulder a heavier workload. GM Dan Morgan said recent draft picks will shore up depth.

New York Times

All sources confirm he will start camp on the PUP list, yet no specific return date is known.

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• “Obviously, with the timetable of the season and all those things, this is something that needs to be done now, and he's recovering great, and we'll just take it week by week and see where he's at.” — Dave Canales, Head Coach, Carolina Panthers

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• “Basically, it was about a week and a half ago, [he] just was feeling a little bit of discomfort and went in and talked to [Panthers VP of player health and performance] Denny [Kellington] and Denny was like, 'this is something we should take a look at,'” — Dave Canales, Head Coach, Carolina Panthers

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• “To get big, young bodies into the program’s always a good thing, with (Georgia offensive tackle) Monroe (Freeling) and Lee right off the bat with the first two picks — quality players who we expect to be in the mix to compete to help our team,” — Dave Canales, Head Coach, Carolina Panthers

New York Times

• “Lee, Cam Jackson, these guys that we brought into our program, are gonna really need to step up for the guys in different roles.” — Dave Canales, Head Coach, Carolina Panthers

New York Times

Wharton will report to camp on the PUP list while Hunter and Jackson are slated to compete for interior snaps from day one. Coaching staff will monitor Wharton’s weekly progress and decide on his activation as the season approaches.

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