Austin Corbett hadn’t played a single snap at left guard in five years. And he was coming off a knee injury that had cost him four games and his starting spot at center.
And yet, the Panthers placed him in between left tackle Ikem Ekwonu and incumbent center Cade Mays on Sunday during a 13-6 road win over the New York Jets.
Damien Lewis, arguably the line’s best player in October, injured his shoulder in the middle of the week and was a game-time decision. Ultimately, though, the decision became obvious when Lewis didn’t recover during the weekend. So, Corbett started at his third position for the Panthers in three years.
While there were occasional hiccups for the line as a whole against the Jets, the group only allowed two sacks. And the rushing attack picked up 125 yards in a defensive-driven, low-scoring affair.
Just another day at the office for the Panthers’ offensive line, despite using its sixth starting combination in seven weeks.
There’s been an injury turnstile on the line, but the train in the trenches has kept on pushing forward, with new faces stepping up weekly. Each of the five projected Week 1 starting linemen have missed at least one game, and the Panthers are already on their third starting right guard with 10 games left to play. But the Panthers have a top-3 run offense and their quarterbacks have only been sacked 12 times in seven games (10 teams have given up 20 or more sacks in the same span).
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, center, hands off the ball to running back Rico Dowdle during their Oct. 5, 2025, game against the Dolphins at Bank of America Stadium. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
Corbett believes the steadiness has come out of the continuity of the group, which returned nine linemen from last season. Assistant head coach Harold Goodwin, offensive line coach Joe Gilbert and offensive quality control coach Dean Petzing have also worked with the group since head coach Dave Canales took office last year.
“They are exactly who they are every single day,” Corbett said about the offensive line coaching trio. “We show up, we know what we’re going to get, we know the details that they are going to point out, or if there’s something new or a wrinkle in the game plan or for the opponent that week — they’re able to get that out. But, again, it comes back to the consistency that we’ve had, over this last year.
“We’ve been speaking the same language for 18 or whatever months it’s been since they’ve been here ... having that consistency, having that same language. It makes it, for whoever is in there, they know what is expected of them, and they know the level of standard that we have in that room, and that’s what we continue each day.”
The Panthers have a unique way of splitting up the practice reps among the line.
Gilbert handles the offensive tackles, Goodwin works with the guards and Petzing — who replaced Keli’i Kekuewa after he joined the Jacksonville Jaguars staff this offseason — guides the centers. This allows each lineman group to get detailed coaching on the week’s assignments and challenges from their position’s perspective before the three coaches link everyone together.
So, when someone needs to step up, they have intimate knowledge of their position’s responsibilities.
“We’ll get kind of individual looks and details at things, and then we’ll branch it off,” Corbett said.
Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, center, breaks to the outside on a run during action against the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 5, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Dolphins 27-24. Jeff Siner jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
The Panthers ran for 239 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5 without their intended starting center or right guard. They ran for 216 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6 without their Week 1 center, right guard or right tackle.
Mays, at center, and Brady Christensen, the now entrenched right guard, have shined in their replacement duties. Canales said swing tackle Yosh Nijman had his best game as a Panther when he filled in for right tackle Taylor Moton against Dallas. And Corbett held his own in emergency spot duty against the Jets, despite returning from his own injury.
“These guys spend a lot of the time together,” Canales said last week. “They have a lot of the camaraderie. They’re always working. It starts off with (Goodwin) and (Gilbert). They’re always working on stunts. They’re always working on different front looks, possibilities that may come up on the side when their special teams period or when the defense is out there in the scout team periods. They’re just constantly working, constantly talking, and just committed to that process of work. That’s what it takes because you never know what your number is going to get called.”
“It’s one thing to have the talent in the room,” Canales added. “It’s another thing for those guys to work together for the whole room to grow, the whole room to continue to develop.”
It doesn’t seem to matter who is lining up for the group as long as they are on the same page. That’s a credit to Goodwin, Gilbert and Petzing, as well as the front office that kept the group together this offseason.
As the Panthers prepare to play the Buffalo Bills, owners of the 31st-ranked run defense in the NFL, the line will continue to work with what they have available. If the last three weeks are any indication, the results should be more of the same.