Carolina Panthers injury report: Inactives announced for Week 1 game vs. Jacksonville

The Carolina Panthers’ banged up offensive line will be without a key starter when it kicks off the 2025 regular season Sunday vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thankfully, he’ll be the only member of the Panthers offensive line unit out Sunday.

Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and cornerback Damarri Mathis have been ruled out for Week 1, according to the team’s inactive list released prior to kickoff Sunday after both were limited throughout the past week of practice. Meanwhile, first-team offensive guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis were cleared to participate after being banged up this week.

The Panthers’ other inactives include rookie receivers Jimmy Horn Jr. and Dalevon Campbell, tight end James Mitchell and defensive tackle Cam Jackson. With Horn and Campbell on the bench, Carolina will have just five active receivers Sunday, led by starters Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette and Hunter Renfrow.

Ekwonu, the Panthers’ first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of NC State, was ruled “doubtful” in Friday’s injury report after dealing with a recent appendectomy, and Panthers head coach Dave Canales said he’s been doing some side work throughout the week. That said, he’s been quite limited and it became clear late in the week that Ekwonu won’t be available Week 1.

Mathis, meanwhile, was ruled out on Friday after not practicing the last two days of practice this week. Veteran defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson is also active after being limited this week by a groin injury.

Hunt and Lewis are active after working through limited practices this week with a foot and shoulder/ankle injury designation, respectively. Hunt joined the Panthers last year after spending his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He emerged in his first season in Carolina, as he made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. Hunt is in the second year of his five-year, $100 million contract.

Carolina Panthers

• Ikem Ekwonu, OT (illness) — Inactive
• Robert Hunt, OG (foot) — Active
• Damarri Mathis, CB (knee) — Inactive
• Damien Lewis, OG (shoulder/ankle) — Active
• A’Shawn Robinson, DL (groin) — Active

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Montaric Brown, CB (ankle) — Inactice
• Wyatt Milum, OT (knee) — Inactive
• Cole Van Lanen, OG (shoulder) — Inactive
• Danny Striggow, DL — Inactive
• B.J. Green Jr., DL — Inactive
• Maason Smith, DT — Inactive

A’Shawn Robinson talks about Panthers missing playoffs last year

A’Shawn Robinson also joined the Panthers last year after spending time with the New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions in his 10-year career. He played in 16 games in Carolina last season and recorded 80 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

In July, Robinson talked about being upset that the Panthers missed the playoffs last year and seeing the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles compete in the Super Bowl. “Watching everybody else and watching the teams that we played against and watching those two teams that made it to the ‘chip, how we played against those teams, just knowing that we lost those games because we didn’t finish,” Robinson, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams, said at the time, per Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com. “We didn’t do things correctly to uphold and to achieve the goals of getting the ‘W.’”