Taylor Moton on his health, the new additions to the O-line and more

0:00 I'm not sure that's okay.

0:02 It's Jeff Okudah and Charlotte Post.

0:04 How are you doing today?

0:05 Doing well, sir.

0:06 Yourself?

0:07 Very good.

0:07 I was just wondering how familiar are you with Rachid Walker's game

0:12 and uh how is your early interactions been with your your possible bookend?

0:18 Um initial interactions have been wonderful.

0:20 He seems like a great guy.

0:21 Excited to work with him this this upcoming season.

0:26 Um so I'm I'm really excited about getting

0:28 out there on the field and getting to work

0:30 with him and just continue to get better and we're going to help each other out,

0:34 feeding off each other, all that good stuff.

0:35 So.

0:37 Have you ever [clears throat] had Did you know him before?

0:39 Have you ever worked with him or been

0:41 in any camps with him before or anything like that?

0:43 No camps or anything like that.

0:45 Obviously I've known of him, saw a little bit of film last year.

0:47 So [snorts] but ultimately this is really

0:49 our first time getting to know each other,

0:51 but it's been great so far and excited about the future.

0:54 So.

0:56 And are you ready to start mentoring the rookie?

0:59 Yeah, yeah, I'm excited to meet him.

1:01 Excited for him to get in the building.

1:03 Heard tremendous things about him.

1:04 So yeah, I'm I'm excited about him and what he

1:07 can what he can bring to the to the room.

1:09 So.

1:11 Hey, thanks.

1:12 Good luck this year.

1:13 Thank you.

1:14 Mike Kaye followed by Mike D'Amato.

1:16 Hey Taylor, how you doing?

1:18 Hey, doing well.

1:18 Good to see you.

1:19 Yeah, great to see you.

1:20 Um what is your approach to mentorship?

1:23 You've kind of had the opportunity to mentor quite a few guys.

1:26 How what do you do when when guys first come in?

1:30 What is your overarching philosophy on on mentoring?

1:34 Do you What what like kind of what's your process?

1:38 Well, I go back to when I was a rookie.

1:40 The thing that helped me out the most was just

1:43 sitting back and observing how the older guys worked, right?

1:45 So I had a all-pro Daryl Williams ahead of me and um you know,

1:50 I just wanted to see how he attacked the film,

1:53 how he attacked practice, all the extra things he did after.

1:57 um, all his attention to detail.

1:59 So, you know, the biggest thing is just doing things the right way.

2:03 And, you know, hoping they're paying attention

2:05 to that and letting them know, you know,

2:07 if you have any questions or any concerns or asking about

2:10 how you do this or that, I'm always here for you.

2:13 I'm always here to support, help, and help you, you know,

2:16 get to where you want to get to and whatever you can do to help this team,

2:20 I I want to be there for you.

2:22 So, you know, and ultimately, if I see something where I think I can help,

2:25 I I go along with that.

2:27 But, you know, ultimately, I think it just starts with taking care of your own

2:30 business and doing things the right way and, you know,

2:33 so that way you just show how like people

2:37 showed me how things are supposed to be done,

2:39 I feel like that's what I work to do for the younger guys as well.

2:43 I mean, entering year 10, you've worked with a lot of different coaches,

2:48 but the fact that this entire coaching staff

2:50 is being retained on offense through year three,

2:53 how much does that benefit you and your playing style,

2:56 but also you're working with with Robert, uh, to your left.

3:01 Yeah, it's been wonderful.

3:03 I I love the coaching staff.

3:04 I think they do a tremendous job.

3:06 You know, working with Joe and Goody every day,

3:09 it's it's been awesome and we can just continue to take those next steps.

3:13 There's no having to start from the beginning and having to, you know,

3:16 re-teach everything from the ground up like we we just

3:19 continue to build on what we had last year, right?

3:22 And then the year before that.

3:23 So, we can just continue to take those steps and continue

3:26 to fine-tune and same thing with playing next to Rob,

3:29 you know, so tremendous guard.

3:30 I'm excited to be playing next to him this year as well.

3:34 Thank you.

3:38 Hey, Teemo.

3:38 Mike Solarte here at Spectrum News 1.

3:40 Good to see you, bud.

3:40 Good to see you, too, Mike.

3:42 Uh, it's kind of going off of the the coaching,

3:45 uh, line that, uh, Mike just brought up.

3:47 The change in play caller for this year

3:49 with Brad Idzik getting the play calling duties,

3:51 how much do you think that it is going to have an impact on what

3:54 you guys do because basically it seems like

3:57 since Brad and and coach Canales got here,

3:59 they've really been essentially kind of joined at the hip

4:01 with how they've kind of built and constructed the offense.

4:04 Well, to me that that's all above me.

4:06 I have the full faith in whoever is

4:08 calling the plays or however it shakes out, right?

4:10 At the end of the day, Bryce comes in, tells us what the play is,

4:14 and I just execute that play the best

4:15 of my ability to give our offense the best chance, right?

4:18 And that doesn't that to me is on, you know, that that will never change.

4:22 So, ultimately I'm just listening to what the quarterback's

4:25 play is and if it's protecting the quarterback, it's that.

4:28 If it's helping the whole front and back, it's that.

4:30 Whatever it is and however it shakes out I was calling it,

4:33 that's not my, you know, my jurisdiction, right?

4:36 Mine is Mine is, you know, doing my job as an offensive lineman, so.

4:41 And then last It was last summer at camp where you

4:45 talked about your desire to want to stay and and be

4:48 a Panther and and it got emotional and then you guys

4:51 go off and you win the division and you make the playoffs.

4:54 Is this kind of Are you guys Are you feel like you're as a group approaching

4:59 the spot you envisioned and wanted to be

5:02 with this organization now as as a group,

5:04 not just yourself, but as you guys are making that climb?

5:06 Well, you know, winning games is always fun, right?

5:08 But we know I work to have that what's next mentality.

5:12 So, we're looking into the 2026 season and continue to build

5:16 on what we did last year and that's, you know, right?

5:18 Continue to win more and more games,

5:20 seeing what I can do to help this offense put up more points

5:24 to put us in a better position to win more and more often.

5:27 So, that's what I'm looking forward to the 2026 season and I'm excited

5:31 and it's and it's an honor to put the jersey on for another year.

5:34 So, you know, I'm excited about it.

5:36 And and that last that last answer pretty should allay the concerns

5:40 of the comments under the Panthers X page where they were carrying this live.

5:43 People saying, "Please don't retire.

5:44 Please don't retire." Talking about you.

5:46 So, I I mean Mike said your entry year is year 10 for you.

5:52 Do you Are you seeing the runway or are you still

5:54 Retirement's out of my mind right now, right?

5:56 You know, um ultimately, I feel great,

5:59 running around with all the guys the the young guys, right?

6:02 Whatever it is, but I I'm feeling young, I'm feeling like I'm moving well,

6:06 and um you know, I'm feeling like I'm

6:08 still right now I'm still in my prime, right?

6:10 I don't feel like I'm I'm slowing down.

6:12 So, ultimately, just I'm Every year I come

6:14 in I I work to have my best season yet,

6:17 and that's not changing going into year 10.

6:19 So.

6:21 Thanks.

6:21 See you, Teemo.

6:22 Darian Gantt, followed by Joe Person.

6:25 Teemo, talking about that mentoring a rookie,

6:28 you've had the opportunity to do this twice now.

6:30 I mean, you had Icky 4 years ago when he came in.

6:33 Is it different from the perspective of a 26-27-year-old

6:38 Taylor Moton compared to a 31-year-old Taylor Moton?

6:42 I mean, there's things where I feel like you grow in different aspects,

6:46 especially being a leader, what works,

6:48 what reciprocates, what doesn't, things like that.

6:50 I might not go into quite the details of it and all the stories I have,

6:54 but ultimately, that's part of the growth along

6:56 with being a player is being a better leader,

6:59 finding ways to work to help get guys to where they want to go

7:03 and get the best out of them and where I fall in that role,

7:06 the best way I I can help.

7:08 So, that's always, you know, that's a continuing process,

7:10 and that's just like a lot of other things.

7:12 I feel like I'll never get there, but I'm always striving for that.

7:15 For for being the best I can for myself

7:17 and for whoever's coming up and maybe watching how I'm doing things.

7:21 So.

7:22 You can feel free to go into the stories.

7:24 That's okay.

7:26 Maybe next time.

7:29 [laughter]

7:29 The The other thing I was curious about is what it's been like for you

7:33 watching to from where you guys were

7:35 in January when Icky gets injured, you know,

7:38 and it's kind of an uncertain situation

7:40 for the line as a whole with his situation,

7:42 and now all of a sudden there is a Rashid and there is a Monroe in that room.

7:47 What's it like going into the season

7:48 knowing you've got multiple options at that position?

7:52 Yeah, I fall back to whoever goes out

7:54 there where half of the situation is, you know,

7:56 we I know I have the most faith

7:58 in the situation and I'm here to help however I can.

8:03 And we all have the same mission, right?

8:05 And that's that's just going out there wanting to know and winning a game.

8:08 So, you know, ultimately I'm I'm here for all the guys in the room.

8:12 Whoever I can help, however I can help,

8:13 I'm there for them along with trying to be the best I can, right?

8:17 And continue to play my best football along the way.

8:20 So, you know, ultimately however it shakes out,

8:22 I'm happy to be in the room, happy to help, and do what I can.

8:30 Hey Teemo.

8:31 Hey, good to see you, Joe.

8:33 Hope it's been a good off season.

8:34 You done anything fun?

8:36 Oh, took a couple trips here and there, but for the most part,

8:40 tongue around, you know, dad life, same old, same old with that.

8:43 Training, it's time to, you know, staying healthy,

8:46 getting back in shape, all the all the normal stuff.

8:49 So.

8:50 Nice.

8:50 Nice.

8:51 Hey, I wanted to ask you, did Dan or Dave kind of give you a heads-up that they

8:57 might be taking a tackle and pick your brain or anything like that?

9:01 I was out uh yeah, the what they do and what we do is separate,

9:05 you know, like I have the like I said before,

9:08 the most faith in in those guys upstairs and Dan Morgan and them

9:12 that they're going to do what's best for the team and you know,

9:15 ultimately I play my role and and that's helping us be the best

9:18 offensive line we can be come Sunday and the whole process of that, right?

9:23 So, ultimately that's that's where I fit into that is

9:26 is helping us do what we can to win games.

9:28 So.

9:29 Sounds like you did not get a chance to meet Monroe yet, correct?

9:33 No, no, not yet.

9:34 The rookies aren't in.

9:36 Yeah.

9:36 And did you have a chance to look at any film or no?

9:39 No.

9:39 No, but um I'm excited to meet him.

9:42 I'm excited to get to know him.

9:43 I've heard great things, so I'm excited about the future and the guys

9:46 coming in and the guys already in the room.

9:49 And uh Daron referenced Icky.

9:52 How's he doing?

9:53 What have your interactions been with him uh this off season?

9:57 You know, I love Icky to death.

9:59 I can't speak on the timeline.

10:01 You got to talk to him about that, but you know,

10:03 he he's a guy that that works day in and day

10:06 out and um that's just the kind of guy he is,

10:08 but you know, where he's at I I can't speak on on that.

10:12 So, I can only speak on No, I wasn't asking I wasn't asking about the timeline.

10:15 I just wonder how he's doing, you know,

10:18 from mindset-wise as he as he goes through this.

10:21 He's a good uh Icky's a great guy and I know he's

10:24 he's always got to that space needs to be the you know,

10:26 be the best he can just like um that's where he's been,

10:30 you know, he's been the guy that uh I'll be working with every day.

10:35 You know, I love him to death, so I'm always here for him.

10:38 Thanks, Teemo.

10:39 Yeah, no doubt.

10:41 Our last two questions will be from Cass, followed by Steve Reed.

10:45 Hi, Teemo.

10:46 How's it going?

10:47 Good.

10:47 Good to see you.

10:48 You, too.

10:49 Um Canales talked about his his sort of an his mission for Bryce this off

10:55 season was to tighten up that window between

10:58 breaking the huddle and the snapping the ball.

11:01 Like from your experience,

11:03 how long does it take a quarterback to kind of master that window and what

11:08 can you do to help him during that time with all that pre-snap stuff?

11:11 Yeah, I don't know the the window time,

11:13 but I do understand that a lot of that tempo it can help with starting up front,

11:18 getting in and out the huddle, and you know,

11:20 we we we all preach about a sense of urgency.

11:24 So, I do I I that's one big thing this off season going season.

11:28 I want to help just try to do my part

11:31 in the sense of urgency making sure we're moving Chris,

11:34 we're moving out as we need to move and still be concise and what have you.

11:38 So, working to play my part in that.

11:42 Awesome.

11:42 Thank you.

11:45 Mhm.

11:45 Timo, Steve Reed from the AP.

11:46 How you doing?

11:47 Good.

11:47 How are you?

11:49 Good man.

11:50 You know, I want to follow up on Mike's question.

11:51 I mean, you talked about being in your prime and last year last

11:54 summer you talked I think about being rejuvenated and feel like you know,

11:59 you just you know, you had a bright long future ahead of you

12:02 but do you ever think about how long you want to play?

12:05 I mean, 40?

12:06 45?

12:07 What do you want to see?

12:08 Might [laughter] not be 45 but um you know,

12:11 I signed a two-year extension and that was where

12:15 my mind was at was just playing cuz for me it's

12:18 always been just what like I said what's next earlier

12:21 and that's going into next year and feeling at my best.

12:24 Right?

12:25 So, when I'm thinking about just next year, I'm not thinking about retirement,

12:28 you know, and then it goes to the year after that.

12:30 I'm still feeling great and then we go from there.

12:33 So, you know, ultimately the number in my head,

12:37 not sure but I do know that I'm excited about this season and you know,

12:42 right now I'm sitting here I'm feeling great.

12:45 I don't feel like I need to retire.

12:47 So, I don't feel like I need to retire anytime soon.

12:49 Feeling good.

12:50 And what one last question.

12:51 Over the years that you've been in the league,

12:52 what what has changed the most in terms

12:54 of maybe how things are officiated on the line?

12:58 Has anything changed over the last are

13:00 they calling different things differently in your mind?

13:04 There's been points of emphasis, you know, that have changed over the years.

13:09 The big thing I would say is us

13:12 breaking the the the line of scrimmage, you know,

13:15 like where we have to line up our helmets

13:17 to the center's waistline so we're not too far back.

13:20 That's probably the biggest thing.

13:21 So, they weren't officiating it that tight when I first got

13:24 in the league but that's become a point of emphasis the past few years.

13:28 That's the, you know, that's a big thing and then they go

13:31 back and forth over if they're going to emphasize

13:33 holds or if they're going to emphasize what a what a hold is, things like that.

13:39 So, there's the ebbs and flows of it, but it's, you know,

13:41 the refs come in every year and they tell us, "Okay,

13:43 so we're locking down more on this." So, you make sure we we're going to have

13:46 to pay attention and tweak the game with your hands,

13:49 your feet, or your your alignment, whatever it is to make sure that, you know,

13:54 the last thing I want to do is be be the be that guy, be a problem.

13:57 So, you know, try to play clean football and do

14:01 and I feel like that's huge for helping us,

14:03 you know, win games and stay efficient.

14:06 Thank you, sir.

14:08 All right, Tino.

14:09 That's all the questions we have for you today.

14:11 Thanks for taking the time.

14:12 Appreciate it.

14:15 [music] [music] [music]