CHARLOTTE — Today, Taylor Moton can cry happy tears.

And so can the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers rewarded the veteran right tackle with an two-year contract extension on Friday, keeping him here through the 2027 season.

By doing the deal now, the Panthers have secured their ability to bring most of the same offensive line back for a third consecutive season — they already picked up the fifth-year option on left tackle Ikem Ekwonu for 2026 — and to keep a player who was clearly emotional about his future here.

Moton was their second-round pick in the 2017 draft, making him and long snapper JJ Jansen the only players left on the roster from their last playoff appearance after that season.

Through it all, Moton has remained steadfast, playing in 129 games with 113 starts. The three games he missed last season because of injury were the first absences of his first eight NFL seasons.

Moton's contract was set to expire after this season, and during training camp, he showed how much this place meant to him when asked about the prospect of potentially leaving.

"I had some of my best years here in Carolina," he said. "I know we haven't won. But the city, being a Panther, means a lot to me, so it's crazy. You don't know. Obviously I want the years to continue, but if it's my last year here, I want to be my best year. I want it to be the offensive line's best year, the offensive unit's best year, the team's best year, do whatever I can to. Have us be our best yet, so I'm a little emotional about it.

"All the blood, all the sweat, all the tears, right? I've been through so much here; being a Panther means a lot to me. The city means a lot to me. I found my family here, I found my son here, you know? So much sacrifice has gone out on the football field, the practice field here at Bank of America Stadium.

"I put so much time, so much heart into it, right? So it's just crazy, you know, but at the end of the day, focused on finishing this out the right way. If it is, obviously I said I have some good years left, but I have a deep passion for this city, for this organization, for all the guys in the locker room, all the staff, everyone involved in making this thing go."

And while this is a sentimental time, the Panthers didn't extend Moton's contract because he's a good guy (though he is). He has been, and remains, a top right tackle.

If you believe in Pro Football Focus stats, he was among the top 20 tackles in the league last year. He committed one penalty. He gave up a single sack. In eight seasons, he's allowed just 16 sacks.

Because he's a generally quiet person, and because he's played on a team that hasn't had the kind of success they hoped for, he hasn't gotten that kind of notice.

Guard Robert Hunt, who was the signature player in the 2024 free agent class, learned in a hurry when he was planted next to Moton a year ago, and saw the work up close.

"Just an underrated guy," Hunt said of the man next to him. "Like, who I believe if he was in a bigger market, would be a Pro Bowl guy. I knew a little bit about him before I got here. I never really watched too much, but I liked what he was doing. I've always been a fan of his game."

And those who get to see him on a daily basis recognize what makes him special.

Moton is the walking definition of "be where your feet are," having turned presence in the moment into an art form. And guys see it, and follow it. Whether it's playing at a high level, preparing his body meticulously, or encouraging guys in the locker room to clean up their messes, he sets a high bar.

"I just think the consistency of his routine, his consistency of doing the work," Brady Christensen said with a tone of reverence. "Like he's just the same guy day in and day out, no matter what's going on, what's going on in the team, what's going on with the coaching staff. Like, he is just the same guy every single day. It's amazing."

Moton calls his goal "the flow state."

"I don't know about every other position. I've only played O-line at this level," he said. "But it's the fact that you have to be consistent play after play because if you're off one play, that can lead to a disaster. So, you know, I take that very seriously.

"I have to take every play very seriously, that starts the beginning of shoot, the offseason really, just doing everything you can to make sure you're mentally where you need to be, to be able to be at your best for 60, 70-plus snaps a game, every game. So that's part of it. And I love it and like I said before, I'm so happy that I've been able to do it all these years here as a Panther. It's been neat."

And now, he gets to do it for longer, and the Panthers have seen the benefits of continuity. In 2023, they gave up 65 sacks while cycling through seven different left guards and eight different right guards. Once left guard Damien Lewis and Hunt arrived last year, that number dropped to 36.

With Hunt under contract through 2028, Lewis through 2027, and Ekwonu's option picked up, they know they have 80 percent of the line secured for the next 34 regular-season games. Center Austin Corbett is the only starter whose contract expires after this year.

"Definitely, I'd say that chemistry is huge," Moton said earlier this summer. "I love playing next to Rob, tremendous football player, and you know it's exciting just to be able to build what we started last year and continue to, you know, mash and gel even better and just continue to take steps in the right direction, be the best players we can be working together."

And they all have a model to look to now, and a future to build on together.