Taylor Moton, the Panthers' 'stalwart' OT, returns with a new perspective

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- While he stretched Tuesday before his first practice since June, Taylor Moton looked like one of those rugged linemen from the old NFL Films videos. The Carolina Panthers offensive lineman wore braces on both elbows, pants that covered his knees and a hoodie pulled over his bald head.

He looked like a warrior.

Moton was the picture of strength and durability his first eight NFL seasons. He played in 120 consecutive games, including 104 starts, to begin his career. A triceps injury two years ago at the Chicago Bears ended Moton's Ironman streak, the longest by a position player in team history.

And though Moton had begun feeling his football mortality with various aches and strains the past couple of years, the 32-year-old had never experienced the type of health scare that sent him rushing to a Charlotte-area hospital in late June.

"It was scary. You start coughing up blood, you start thinking the worst," Moton said. "But thank God I'm still on this side of earth, right? Past football, it just makes you count your blessings. I'm just happy to be here, still get to see my family. It's a blessing."

Panthers coach Dave Canales had Moton break the team down Tuesday, more than three months after doctors discovered blood clots in one of his lungs. Moton, the team's longest-tenured position player, encouraged teammates to embrace an "attitude of gratitude," sprinkling in some colorful language to drive home the point.

"Of course, nobody could break the team down today other than Taylor Moton," Canales said. "He got out there, and the guys were excited about it. Great day."

The Panthers opened the 21-day practice windows for Moton, defensive tackle Turk Wharton and running back Trevor Etienne on Tuesday after returning from their bye week. Rookie Monroe Freeling, who started in Moton's right tackle spot the first four games, is dealing with a knee injury.

It would be helpful if Moton can play Sunday at the Philadelphia Eagles. He said he's preparing to do so.

But the benefits of getting Moton back extend beyond adding a strong run blocker and a veteran pass protector for Bryce Young. Having been with the organization for 10 years, Moton has seen some things.

"He's kind of that stalwart. He's been around. He's been through a lot of regimes. He's seen up and down years for the Panthers," center Luke Fortner said. "And to be able to take some of that experience and say, 'I've seen it done one way. It didn't work. I've seen it done this way. It did work,' and try to help us all understand what that looks like."

Moton isn't sure what caused the clots, which were accompanied by alarmingly high blood pressure. He had flown back to Charlotte after hosting his annual football camp in his Michigan hometown and was relaxing at home when he started feeling poorly.

"I was just hanging out, about to take a nap. Laid down and then all of a sudden just started feeling like my chest was really congested," he said. "I thought it was just normal chest congestion until I started tasting that blood in my mouth. That's when I knew something was up."

Moton went to the hospital closest to his home in suburban Charlotte, then was sent to another bigger healthcare facility. A series of CT scans and ultrasounds revealed a "multitude of clots" in his right lung. He recalled feeling lightheaded and a little unsteady on his feet.

Nancy Gritter, the Panthers' lead internist, told Moton he'd be on blood thinners for three months and would have to avoid contact. "The first thing I believe she said was it means no taking on bull rushes from (edge rusher) Nic Scourton," Moton said. "That means no ball for me."

Moton's diagnosis, after Ikem Ekwonu's patellar tendon surgery in January, meant the Panthers would start the season without both starting tackles. Ekwonu, who stood behind a scrum of media members around Moton on Tuesday, remains on the physically unable to perform list. Canales said last week that Ekwonu still had "a ways" to go in his recovery.

"He works his ass off, day in and day out," Moton said. "I can't speak on when he's coming back, but I can promise you that he's doing everything and more."

Canales said having Moton back was an emotional boost to a team that holds sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

"They responded to him like a fun uncle. And he accepts and embraces that role," Canales said. "As fun-loving as he is, there isn't anybody that is more conscientious about their fundamentals and their technique, and it's why he's been able to be so successful for so long.

"He gets back out there at practice, and you can just see how technical he is with his footwork, with his hand placement. And a great example for all the guys, for Monroe, for all these guys to see how you go about your work and being detailed."

Moton said he's heard teammates called him "Unc" and "O.G." But "fun uncle" was a new one to him. Young smiled when he heard Canales' description.

"He's definitely a veteran presence for us in here, obviously seen a lot of ball. But yeah, super cool to be around," Young said. "He's always starting a cool conversation in the locker room, somebody you can go up and just have a conversation with while you're stretching on the sideline."

As teammates gathered around him Tuesday for his prepractice breakdown, Moton urged them not to take football for granted and to do things the right way, whether by watching film, practicing or taking care of their bodies.

The words carried more weight than they would have four months ago.

"Honestly, it gave me more gratitude for life in general. Like football? Yeah. But just past that," Moton said. "Now I wake up with a new sense of just happy to be able to put my feet on the side of the earth. Because when something like that happens, you see the repercussions of what a pulmonary embolism does to people. It puts that into perspective."

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.