The Carolina Panthers got gashed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the run game on Sunday, to put it mildly. This was as embarrassing of a performance from your run defense as you could have in the NFL: The Bucs had 322 total offensive yards in a 43-13 win, and 258 of that came on the ground. To make it worse, Carolina had just 266 yards of offense total. Baker Mayfield, in his return from injury, needed just 64 passing yards on 11 pass attempts. 

This is far from a new problem, and it's one Carolina needs to fix imminently. That’s why they need to look at this emergency trade if they want to be taken seriously as an NFC South contender. 

The Indianapolis Colts lost yet again in Week 7, falling to 2-5 on the year and essentially turning the page to next season. They don’t have to sell off all their stars, but nose tackle Grover Stewart is a start if they can leverage the Panthers' desperation.

Why Carolina needs this trade package to land Grover Stewart

The Panthers are going to want a pick back in return as part of this deal, simply because they are still outside of their true contention window. Sure, they can win this division again, but they aren’t a true threat in the NFC just yet. They’re probably a year away from that and need one more draft to get the depth they’ll need to truly be good in 2027. That said, to get a pick back, that also means they’ll have to give up something a little steeper. Stewart has been a really good interior defensive lineman over his career, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Panthers get aggressive.

Stewart is 33 and in the last year of his contract. If Carolina wants to capitalize on what looks to be another weak NFC, this is the type of move they need to make. The way Stewart has defended the run this year, it wouldn’t make sense for the Panthers to not land a player that could immediately save them from another game in which they give up nearly 300 rushing yards.

Why Grover Stewart is the perfect solution for Carolina

Stewart makes a lot of sense for Carolina, which could benefit from some veteran experience on this young roster. He’s also been one of the better run defenders in the NFL: According to PFF, he has a 60.7 run defense grade, which is ranked 44th among eligible defensive tackles. He also has an overall grade of 60.1, which is ranked 58th in 2026. He’s the type of player that will help clog up inside running lanes and keep teams from running rampant on the Panthers. 

If teams realize they can run all over you, it will be a long game — and a long season. The Panthers have to nip this in the bud now. Stewart doesn’t necessarily solve all of their problems on defense and in the run game, but he certainly helps. Carolina can’t have another game like this. They also can’t be complacent at the NFL trade deadline if they can find ways to expedite their development.

Landing a player like Stewart shows they’re serious about contending this year. Adding Stewart to this defense shows they recognize how bad the run defense was against Tampa Bay and that they don’t want to amplify those problems in the second half of the season.