The Carolina Panthers have had a full-on quarterback battle this offseason after trading for former Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield earlier this offseason.
It certainly appears that Mayfield has won the job over last year’s starter Sam Darnold, but the team has not yet made an official announcement.
Many were hoping to get some more answers during the team’s preseason game on Friday against the New England Patriots, but it doesn’t seem like that will be the case.
Reports have emerged that backup quarterback PJ Walker is set to alternate with rookie quarterback Matt Corral on Friday, with Walker playing the first and third quarters and Corral playing the second and fourth quarters of the game.
P.J. Walker is expected to start at quarterback for the Panthers in their second preseason game vs. the Patriots, per sources. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold are still in a QB battle for the 1 spot and Panthers playing mostly 2s and 3s tonight. So, neither gets the start.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 19, 2022
We see many teams protect their starters from much play in the preseason due to injury concerns, but many were hoping for more preseason action from Mayfield and Darnold for Carolina to confidently solidify their decision.
HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS LEGEND PJ WALKER https://t.co/t4Sh3ahC9c
— Jay Arnold (@CoachJayArnold) August 19, 2022
This makes little to no sense.
If you're pretending to have an open QB competition, it would make sense to give each QB a half with some starters.
Why is everything so backwards with Matt Rhule? https://t.co/ukcRn2EWks
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 19, 2022
— Tweets by Sneaky Joe (@SneakyJoeSports) August 19, 2022
https://twitter.com/_necktats/status/1560676548998725632
It could also mean that the Panthers have seen enough in terms of their quarterback battle and that either Mayfield or Darnold has essentially won the starting job on paper.
The Panthers showcasing P.J. Walker as a trade candidate tells you all you need to know about this QB battle.
It was Baker Mayfield's job to lose the minute they traded for him, and Carolina isn't trying to pretend otherwise. https://t.co/7xQN5A0G5Z
— Mike Maher (@mikeMaher) August 19, 2022
Also known as Baker Mayfield is our starter and we want to keep Sam Darnold healthy so we can trade him https://t.co/iy9r20bvyO
— Adam Patrick (@adampatrickNFL) August 19, 2022
The four quarterbacks that the Panthers have on the roster all seem serviceable, yet not exceptional to this point in their NFL careers.
It certainly seems like they will look to move one of these guys via trade at some point before the start of the regular season, and this may be their plan to prop up Walker to potentially interested teams.
Regardless, fans excited to see more of Mayfield or Darnold will surely be disappointed when they tune in to watch the game on Friday night.
