Panthers exercise left tackle Ikem Ekwonu's fifth-year option

The Carolina Panthers have announced they will exercise the fifth-year option on left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, extending his contract through the 2026 season. General manager Dan Morgan confirmed the decision following the NFL draft, ensuring Ekwonu a guaranteed salary estimated at $17.5 million for the option year. Ekwonu, the 2022 first-round pick, has started all 49 games of his career and showed improvement in both run blocking and pass protection last season. Despite early struggles, much of which has been attributed to previous coaching instability, Ekwonu has remained a consistent starter. The Panthers did not draft any offensive linemen this year, signaling their commitment to building stability around Ekwonu and the offensive line, which also saw significant offseason investments. The team will now consider whether to negotiate a longer-term deal with Ekwonu.