Carolina Panthers get bad news in latest Week 18 injury report

The Carolina Panthers are going to need all hands on deck this weekend. Already down a starting linebacker and some other key players, the fact that the practice windows for two long-injured players were opened was crucial.

When the Panthers opened up the windows to return for wide receiver David Moore and offensive guard Robert Hunt, it provided hope that they could be active for a crucial game such as this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Regrettably, after some hope that they'd play, the Panthers have officially ruled both out.

Panthers won't get two key contributors back from injury this week

If Robert Hunt and David Moore are going to play this season, it'll require a playoff berth. The good news is that the Panthers can get that with a win this Saturday. The bad news is that they won't have those two players.

Rob Hunt and David Moore won’t be activated this weekend for the #Panthers.

But LB Jacoby Windmon and CB David Long have been elevated from the p-squad with Claudin Cherelus and Robert Rochell sidelined.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) January 2, 2026

Hunt has been out with a torn biceps, and it has forced the Panthers to get highly creative with their offensive line. Injuries to Cade Mays, Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen, and Taylor Moton have not helped.

All told, Carolina used more than 10 offensive line combinations this year. It hasn't really hurt as bad as one might think, but the running game has suffered lately without a good push from the offensive line.

Having Hunt back would've helped. It would've also countered the fact that on the opposite side, the Buccaneers are likely to get IDL Calijah Kancey back. That boosts Tampa's D-line, while Carolina's O-line is still missing Hunt.

For Moore, the absence is not as deeply felt. The passing game hasn't exactly suffered because Moore, the likely WR4 or even WR5 most days, doesn't bring a whole lot to the table.

However, Xavier Legette is trending in the wrong direction. His snap count is going down, and that means the count for Brycen Tremayne and Jimmy Horn Jr. goes up. It's unclear now how well they can handle that.

Plus, Moore is one of the few players who's actually been in big games like this. No one on that Panthers offense aside from Taylor Moton knows what to expect, but Moore, with the Seattle Seahawks, does.

He could've been a valuable addition to the lineup this week, especially with the Bucs' secondary being banged up. The Buccaneers shut down the run game last time, so the path to the NFC South might be through the air.

And while Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are good, the Bucs are probably going to take McMillan out with double teams and brackets. That leaves, more or less, just Coker as a reliable target.

Say what you want about Moore, and there's plenty to say, but he is, if nothing else, reliable. Last year, he and Bryce Young had some chemistry, so his absence might be impactful, even if he's been out basically the entire year.

- Enjoy more free Panthers coverage with Carolina Panthers on SI -

All potential Panthers playoff matchups in 2025

Why Panthers will and won’t win NFC South title

Two Panthers players have major contract incentives this week

Panthers’ playoff chances revealed after Week 18 action