Will the Carolina Panthers have a quarterback controversy on their hands during the 2022 NFL season?
For now, Baker Mayfield is their starter after trading for him during the offseason.
It was a low-risk, high-reward move for the Panthers because they only gave up a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft to acquire the number one overall pick in the 2018 draft.
However, that selection will become a fourth-rounder for the Cleveland Browns if Mayfield plays 70 percent of the snaps.
The Panthers might meet that condition because Mayfield has been their starter for their first four games.
Unfortunately, Carolina hasn’t had favorable results, winning just one game.
Worst yet, Mayfield has reached 200 passing yards just once and has completed 54.7 percent of his passes.
If Mayfield continues to go on a downward spiral, the Panthers can consider Sam Darnold.
But his return will not happen soon, as ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter shared.
Panthers’ QB Sam Darnold is now eligible to come off of injured reserve, but he’s still not close to being from the high ankle sprain he suffered in late August, per source. It’s still, in the words of a source, “going to be a while.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 3, 2022
Schefter tweeted, “Panthers’ QB Sam Darnold is now eligible to come off of injured reserve, but he’s still not close to being from the high ankle sprain he suffered in late August, per source. It’s still, in the words of a source, ‘going to be a while.'”
In that case, the Panthers are stuck with Mayfield and P.J. Walker.
An Unfortunate 2022 Season For Darnold
First, he lost his starting role to Mayfield, and for good reason.
He struggled after a 3-0 start in 2021, especially when Christian McCaffrey was out due to injury.
Then, he suffered an ankle injury during their preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
They placed him on injured reserve, given that his high ankle sprain will take 4-6 weeks to recover.
While he is eligible for a return to the active roster, the Panthers will be cautious with his return.
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