Panthers Get Last-Minute Boost vs Cardinals

The Carolina Panthers shored up their offensive line at the last second.

Jun 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (79) during minicamp at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

GLENDALE -- The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers have released their lists of inactive players ahead of their Week 2 tilt at State Farm Stadium, and the visiting team got quite the boost ahead of their matchup.

Ikem Ekwonu is officially active and ready to roll for the Panthers after being questionable. The starting offensive tackle will make his debut in 2025 after his emergency appendectomy.

This, obviously, is a huge boost for a Panthers team in search of their first win of the season. If Carolina will upset the Cardinals today, it will be because they successfully ran the football - similar to their recipe of success last year when Arizona allowed over 200 yards rushing to the Panthers.

“We didn’t stop the run, and we lost the takeaway battle and got beat. If you don’t do that you’re going to lose. It was very clear to our guys why we lost that game and just revisit it because they got a lot of players. Hubbard went for 152 (yards) versus us last year. You’re not going to win," Jonathan Gannon told reporters this week.

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Arizona Cardinals Inactives

CB Elijah Jones
LB Xavier Thomas
WR Xavier Weaver
OL Will Hernandez
TE Tip Reiman
LB Cody Simon

Carolina Panthers Inactives

WR Jimmy Horn Jr.
OT Yosh Nijman
WR Dalevon Campbell
TE James Mitchell
DT Tershawn Wharton

Cardinals Aiming for Revenge

The Cardinals have lost their last seven of eight matchups against Carolina, which included a late-season loss to the Panthers to officially end their postseason hopes.

“They’ve got different players, but same coaching staff. Schematically, they did some good things, I thought. You turn over every stone, so a little bit," said Gannon when asked if the team revisited any film from late last year.

"We’re not living in that, but obviously the Jacksonville game we looked at pretty good and it’s still Week 2, so there’s going to be some un-scouted things (on) both sides. The other thing too, I told our guys is that there’s some things that we have to do a lot better in all three phases, in a hurry, so I’ve got my eye on that too. They know those things that they’re aware of and what we have to do a better job of going from Week 1 to Week 2, regardless of your opponent, just to play better football to give us a better chance to win."

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With a win, the Cardinals could move to 2-0 on the season - which would be a first since 2021.

Kickoff is at 1:05 PM MST.