Carolina Panthers Hold Breath As Nic Scourton Suffers Injury During Training Camp

The Carolina Panthers may have received some troubling news as training camp gets underway.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, outside linebacker Nic Scourton left practice with a right knee injury and is scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine the severity. Panthers head coach Dave Canales declined to speculate on the injury following practice.

The timing is significant, especially for the Detroit Lions.

Detroit is scheduled to travel to Carolina for a Week 4 matchup, and if Scourton is forced to miss significant time, it would be a major blow to a Panthers defense that was counting on the young pass rusher to take another step forward in 2026.

Scourton, who was selected by Carolina in the second round (51st overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft, showed plenty of promise as a rookie. The former Purdue and Texas A&M standout appeared in all 17 games during the 2025 season, recording 5.0 sacks, 20 solo tackles, and a forced fumble while emerging as one of the Panthers’ top young defensive playmakers.

While there’s no timetable until MRI results are available, Panthers fans will be anxiously awaiting an update.

If Scourton is sidelined into the regular season, the Lions’ offense could catch a break when it heads to Carolina in Week 4. His absence would leave a noticeable void in the Panthers’ pass rush and make the challenge of protecting Jared Goff a bit easier.

For now, though, both teams will have to wait and see what the MRI reveals.