Carolina Panthers Lineman Taylor Moton Overcomes Bloody, Dangerous Scare and Returns to Practice

Taylor Moton Describes Coughing Up Blood and Terrifying Discovery of Multiple Blood Clots in Right Lung That Put His Life at Serious Risk

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It's a comeback story of the highest order as Taylor Mouton's life was in danger, blood splattered all over his chest and doctors frantically rushed to save him from dying of a life-threatening emergency.

Mouton is an offensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers.

Except, he hasn't been an offensive lineman since the offseason, as he's been exclusively a patient trying to overcome a condition that caused, as he put it, "a bunch of clots in my right lung."

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I had a friend who died of a blood clot in 2022. Miami Dolphins senior vice president Jason Jenkins died of bilateral pulmonary embolism due to phlebotomy. He was in his office at the team's training ground when it happened.

Jenkins had been complaining of blood clots in his legs for months before. He talked about how he had to be careful when flying because it could affect his condition.

So when Mouton was placed on the non-football injury list in July, it caught my attention because there had been reports of a clot since June. And this was extremely worrying.

But this column is not all sadness and worry. or death

The Houston Texans star worked out in pads for the first time in nearly two years after suffering a career-threatening injury in 2024.

That's because Mouton is back on the Panthers' practice field this week. And he was in the locker room Tuesday talking about his victory over a life-threatening condition.

"I was just going to take a nap, lay down, and all of a sudden I felt my chest get really crowded," Mouton told a group of reporters gathered in his closet. "I thought it was just normal chest congestion. But I started to taste blood in my mouth and then I knew something was going on."

One can only imagine what a world-class athlete who had not yet reached his 32nd birthday was thinking when faced with a serious medical emergency. These people train to feel invincible.

But Mouton soon realized that he was not invincible. He was in deep trouble.

"I started coughing up blood -- and it was like a lot of it," Moton said.

They went to the hospital, they were doing CT scans, ultrasounds, trying to figure out what was going on.

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Mouton said doctors still don't know what caused the frightening episode.

"They gave me blood thinners and other than that I was just working," he said. "I couldn't come in contact with blood thinners because contact with blood thinners can lead to brain bleeding."

Mouton has tried to stay in shape, but it's clearly not football shape. So he has 21 days to try to reach that level of fitness before making a decision on his season availability. The Panthers, dealing with injuries on their offensive line, need him as soon as possible.

The guy they get back has a different perspective than the guy who last played in the 2025 season.

"When you see blood, you think the worst," Mouton said. "But thank God I'm still on this side of the field, right? Like football back in the day, man, it makes you count your blessings to be here. You still see my family. It's a blessing."

And this: "Honestly," Mouton added, "it gave me a greater appreciation for life in general."

Armando Salguero is the senior writer for NFL OutKick.

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