Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikemefuna “Ickey” Ekwonu was carted off the field during the team’s playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 10 against the Los Angeles Rams after suffering a serious leg injury.
Kwon, 25, sunk under the rush of the Rams’ rookie linebacker Josiah Stewart during the first quarter, immediately taking his right leg.
The Panthers quarterback, Bryce Younghe indicated on the sidelines that Ekwonu needed help.
While Ekwonu was being transported to the locker room, he he pumped his fist in the air and gave the crowd at Bank of America Stadium a thumbs up.
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Shortly after the injury, Ekonwu was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Ekwonu, an NC State graduate, was selected by the Panthers with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In December, Ekwonu underwent an MRI after feeling discomfort in his knee during a game against the New Orleans Saints.
Ekwonu told reporters he knew something was wrong “before halftime.”
“I knew something was up, I guess, like when it happened, but I mean, I guess the adrenaline definitely helped me fight those things,” he said at the time. “I had a job to do and obviously the decision to stay in the game was my decision in general, so I felt like I could go at that point. So, you know, I just pushed it forward.”
Ekwonu was forced to miss the team’s next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but remained coy about the MRI results.
“I’m going to keep that kind of stuff at home,” Ekwonu said. “But like I said before, right now I’m dealing with day to day.”
Ekwonu further explained that it was a difficult decision to miss playing time, but acknowledged that he had the support of his dressing room.
“The team knows that and the guys in the locker room know that if I can be out there, I will,” Ekwonu said. “Obviously, it’s always a tough time. I want to be there for my teammates, the coaches and everything. I just want to be there representing the Panthers to the best of my ability. So obviously disappointing, some of the weather and stuff, but it’s hard to stop it.”
Panthers Head Coach, Dave Canaleshe added at the time: “He was struggling out there, and you could feel some things going on. In the postgame evaluation and as you start testing him, there’s something in there, there’s something with the knee, and so we had to make sure we took care of him today.”
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A native of Matthews, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte, Ekonwu has often talked about playing for his hometown team.
“I can’t even describe how good it feels to say I’m coming home!” he published via Instagram after being drafted. “I’m ready to work in Charlotte.”
In the days leading up to the playoff game against the Rams, Carolina’s first postseason appearance since the 2017 season, Ekwonu acknowledged the magnitude of the moment.
“”Dreams become tangible things” ☁️🕊️,” he shared via Instagram on Tuesday, January 6.