Wharton underwent neck surgery in early May and is out indefinitely, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Wharton signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Panthers last offseason, and he played just nine regular-season games in 2025, recording 36 tackles (11 solo), 2.0 sacks and a pass breakup. It's unclear if he'll miss any time, but LaBryan Ray would likely handle an increased workload if Wharton's injury lingers.