The Carolina Panthers have settled their quarterback depth chart in time for the 2022 NFL season.
Baker Mayfield, the play-caller they traded for last July, will be their starter in Week 1 when they face his former team, the Cleveland Browns.
Backing him up are Sam Darnold, P.J. Walker, and Matt Corral.
However, they are having health problems with their options.
Corral is already on season-ending injured reserve after suffering a Lisfranc injury.
Then, Darnold is also set to miss some time after Buffalo Bills defensive lineman C.J Brewer landed on his ankle.
It looked like they would deal with another long-term injury.
However, NFL insider Dov Kleiman shared that Darnold could return in a month.
#Panthers placed QB Sam Darnold on injured reserve. He'll be out about 4 weeks with his injury.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 1, 2022
Kleiman tweeted, “#Panthers placed QB Sam Darnold on injured reserve. He’ll be out about 4 weeks with his injury.”
If everything goes well, Darnold could return after the first month of the season.
This injury shortens Carolina’s quarterback rotation even further, leaving Mayfield and Walker as the only available options.
Darnold Hoping To Turn Things Around
Aside from recovering from his recent injury, he would like to get back on the field and retain the starting quarterback role.
It’s the position he had last year when the Panthers traded for him after three seasons with the New York Jets.
In return, the Jets received a 2021 sixth-rounder, a 2022 second-rounder, and a 2022 fourth-rounder.
He finished the season completing 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,527 yards and nine touchdowns.
However, he threw 13 interceptions and won only four games.
Darnold also added five touchdowns from 222 rushing yards.
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