Everything is in front of the Carolina Panthers. Their stunning victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers puts them in pole position to win the NFC South for the first time in a decade, but this is far from a done deal just yet.

Head coach Dave Canales’ squad is gearing up to take on the Seattle Seahawks, who hold the NFC’s No. 1 seed in their grasp, this weekend at Bank of America Stadium. It’s a daunting challenge, but Panthers fans can take heart from previous displays against some NFL heavyweights when nobody expected them to succeed.

Unfortunately for Canales, he’ll have to do it without one of his ascending defenders the rest of the way.

Carolina Panthers end Trevin Wallace’s season early after shoulder surgery

It’s been a rollercoaster campaign for linebacker Trevin Wallace. The 2024 third-round pick started slowly but came to life when he was given the green dot responsibilities. While he’s not the finished article by any stretch of the imagination, there were enough encouraging signs to suggest he can have a long-term future in Carolina with a little extra polish.

Wallace has also been playing through a shoulder issue in recent weeks. The Panthers gave him every chance to heal naturally, but they finally admitted defeat.

Canales confirmed that Wallace underwent surgery to repair the shoulder and is now out for the season. This means the Kentucky product will miss the next two regular-season games. And if the Panthers manage to make it into the postseason for the first time since 2017, the energetic second-level presence will miss this monumental moment, too.

This will no doubt be a massive disappointment for Wallace. He’s been a big part of Carolina’s growth this season, so losing him at such a critical stage represents a blow. Canales revealed that Claudin Cherelus will continue to start in his absence, which adds more pressure on Christian Rozeboom to deliver.

Rozeboom, like Wallace, started slowly but came on as the season progressed once he was allowed to be more instinctive. The Panthers will need that more than ever down the stretch without Wallace, whose focus now goes to getting healthy to ensure he’s ready to hit the ground running when preparations for the 2026 campaign begin.

It’s not ideal. Even so, the Panthers’ next-man-up mentality has handled the injuries that have emerged this season well. That’s a testament to Dan Morgan’s recruitment and the coaching staff’s ability to have everyone ready to go when their respective numbers are called. It’s got them into pole position. Now, they must finish the job.

And Wallace will be playing a part behind the scenes, even if he isn’t able to make a lasting contribution on the field.