Panthers LT Ikem Ekwonu had an appendectomy, Week 1 status uncertain

The Panthers may not have left tackle Ikem Ekwonu for their first game of the season.

Head coach Dave Canales said on Wednesday that Ekwonu had an appendectomy last Sunday after complaining of stomach pain over the weekend. The team will monitor him for the next week before making any decisions about his status for Week 1's game against the Jaguars.

"We've seen these things turn around in a little over a week," Canales said, via David Newton of ESPN.com. "It can be longer. It just depends on each individual's body, on how you respond to the surgery, how your body heals the right way. So, it's going to be day-to-day all the way up until the game."

Canales said Yosh Nijman would be the left tackle if Ekwonu isn't able to play on September 7.