Chosen by the Panthers in the third round (92nd overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft out of LSU, Trai Turner stepped in as a 21-year-old power blocker with exceptional phone-booth strength. He seized the starting right guard job midway through his rookie season and quickly established himself as the anchor of Carolina's interior line.

At 6 feet 3 inches and 320 pounds, Turner paired sheer interior mass with explosive leg drive from his stance. Operating at right guard in Carolina's power-gap running scheme, he excelled at driving nose tackles off the ball, clearing running lanes for Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart, and Christian McCaffrey. In pass protection, Turner used a heavy anchor and wide frame to stonewall interior blitzes and keep the pocket firm for Newton's deep drops.

After making nine starts as a rookie in 2014, Turner’s career took off during Carolina's historic 2015 campaign. Playing 98 percent of offensive snaps, he started all 16 games for an offense that led the NFL with 500 points. Turner earned his first Pro Bowl selection as the Panthers rolled to a 15–1 record, an NFC Championship, and an appearance in Super Bowl 50.

That breakout performance launched an unprecedented run of consistency. Turner earned five consecutive Pro Bowl selections (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019), becoming one of only a handful of offensive linemen in franchise history to sustain that level of peer recognition. He signed a four-year contract extension in 2017, cementing his status as the team's most dependable interior lineman through multiple offensive coordinator changes and coaching transitions.

In March 2020, as the Panthers began a major roster rebuild under a new coaching staff, the organization traded Turner to the Los Angeles Chargers for veteran offensive tackle Russell Okung. He later played for Pittsburgh and Washington before retiring.

In his six productive years with the Panthers, Turner started 80 out of 84 games played.