Carolina Panthers LB Nic Scourton carted off with right knee injury on first day of training camp

The Carolina Panthers received an early scare on the opening day of training camp as second-year outside linebacker Nic Scourton left the field on a cart with a right knee injury.

Scourton went down late in Thursday’s session while working on a wet practice field. Players immediately stopped and gathered around their teammate, many dropping to one knee as medical staff attended to him. The 2025 second-round pick held his hand over his face while being helped onto the cart.

Emotional support from coach and entire roster

As the cart began to leave the field, it stopped so head coach Dave Canales and every player on the Carolina Panthers roster could walk over and hug Nic Scourton. The moment highlighted the strong bond within the locker room before Scourton was taken to the training room for further evaluation.

Canales cautious, additional testing planned

Speaking after practice, Dave Canales refused to speculate on the severity of the injury. “Hoping for the best,” the coach said. Nic Scourton is scheduled to undergo additional testing on the knee. The exact nature of the injury was not immediately known as the team continued the remainder of the session.

Strong rookie season sets high expectations

Nic Scourton arrived at camp with momentum after an impressive rookie year. He appeared in all 17 games with eight starts, finishing with 47 tackles, five sacks and nine quarterback hits. The young edge defender had been expected to take on a larger role in 2026 opposite veteran Brian Burns’ replacement group and was viewed as a key piece of the Panthers’ improving defense.

The Carolina Panthers open training camp with high hopes under Canales in his second full season. Losing a promising young pass rusher, even for a short period, would create an early challenge for a defense looking to build continuity. Depth at outside linebacker will be tested if Scourton is forced to miss significant time.

Practice continued without further interruption after Nic Scourton left the field. Team officials have not released an official timeline and will update media once the additional tests are complete.

For now, the focus remains on Nic Scourton’s recovery and the support shown by his teammates and coaching staff on what was supposed to be a routine first day of camp.