Sam Darnold

Panthers Designate QB Sam Darnold, DT Bravvion Roy For Return

October 19th, 2022 at 11:39am CST by Sam Robinson

Sam Darnold will be back on the practice field for the Panthers beginning Wednesday. The team designated the fifth-year quarterback and defensive tackle Bravvion Roy for return.

This will begin Darnold’s 21-day activation ramp-up period. Carolina can activate Darnold at any point over the next three weeks. The team lost its backup quarterback to a high ankle sprain during the preseason, and the 2021 trade acquisition was given a four- to six-week recovery timetable. We have passed the back end of that window, so Darnold’s return to practice will be interesting.

The Panthers still have all eight of their injury activations to use this season. That points to both Darnold and Roy being activated soon. A 2020 sixth-round pick, Roy suffered a knee injury in Week 2.

Much has changed since Darnold last took the field for the Panthers. They have fired Matt Rhule and traded Robbie Anderson. Christian McCaffrey is now a trade candidate. Baker Mayfield also suffered a high ankle sprain, though his recovery timetable is not believed to be as lengthy as Darnold’s was back in August.

Mayfield has shed his walking boot but is not yet ready to practice, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. An MRI revealed a torn ligament in Mayfield’s ankle, Steve Wilks said. This would stand to lengthen the incumbent starter’s recovery timeline. The former No. 1 overall choice has struggled since being acquired in July. His early-season woes contributed heavily to Rhule’s firing, leading to rumors of Darnold being given another shot. Wilks did not guarantee Mayfield would keep his job upon return, indicating (via The Athletic’s Joe Person, on Twitter) he and Darnold would compete (again). Mayfield won a fairly one-sided QB competition during training camp.

The Panthers gave up far more to acquire Darnold compared to Mayfield, making the former’s 2021 performance quite costly for the team’s Rhule-era aspirations. The former No. 3 overall pick started 11 games last season. After beginning the year 3-0, Darnold lost seven of his final eight outings. A shaky offensive line contributed to Darnold’s issues in Carolina, but the Jets also unloaded him due to underwhelming play. The USC product ranked 29th in QBR during a season in which he threw nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. Mayfield, whose Browns career outpaced Darnold’s first four seasons, currently ranks last in QBR.

Carolina used both P.J. Walker and Jacob Eason in Los Angeles last week. Given the way Mayfield has performed, it would certainly not surprise to see Darnold back under center at some point soon. Then again, Darnold has an extensive injury history. He has missed at least three games in each of his five NFL seasons. Both he and Mayfield are set for free agency at season’s end, pointing the Panthers to a full-on quarterback reset.

Baker Mayfield Suffers High Ankle Sprain

October 16th, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 16: Mayfield is inactive for today’s game, as expected. That will leave Walker and Jacob Eason available to the Panthers under center today against Los Angeles. The Rams, meanwhile, will also be shorthanded at the position, as backup John Wolford is out with a neck injury. He will be replaced by Bryce Perkins.

OCTOBER 11: The second opinion the Panthers quarterback received confirmed surgery will not be necessary, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Mayfield is not expected to be placed on IR, opening the door to a return within the next four games. This season has gone about as badly as possible for the former No. 1 overall pick, but his avoiding a serious injury is obviously a plus. Walker will be expected to start the first game of Steve Wilks‘ Panthers HC tenure, with Pelissero adding Mayfield should be shelved for two to six weeks (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 10: After he exited yesterday’s game early, and donned a walking boot following the contest, it was expected that Baker Mayfield would miss at least some time. Today, it was confirmed that the Panthers quarterback suffered a high ankle sprain (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Mayfield is expected to miss multiple weeks at a minimum as a result of the injury. He is in the process of gathering further information to determine his next steps, but being available for Week 6 may not be out of the question yet. The Athletic’s Joe Person reports that Mayfield “hopes” to play on Sunday against the Rams, something which is a “longshot” at this point (Twitter link).

Playing through pain would be nothing new for the former No. 1 pick, of course. Dealing with a serious shoulder injury (among other things), Mayfield suited up for 14 contests in 2021, the first season in which he missed any games in his career. His performance was clearly affected by his health status, and he put up career-lows statistically and was ultimately dealt to Carolina.

That led to optimism for his ability to resurrect his career and provide the Panthers with some much-needed stability at the position. However, he contributed greatly to the team’s offensive struggles, completing less than 55% of his passes and amassing a career-low QBR of 71.9. For that reason, Rapoport adds, fellow 2018 draftee Sam Darnold may well have already taken over the No. 1 role had he been available (video link).

Instead, Darnold, who lost out in the training camp competition to Mayfield for the starting job, has yet to play this season. He suffered a high ankle sprain of his own, which has landed him on IR. The recovery timeline of four to six weeks should have him seeing the field soon, but he has yet to be designated for return. That, coupled with the season-ending injury suffered by rookie Matt Corral this preseason, threatens to leave the team very shorthanded against the defending champions.

The only healthy QB the Panthers have on the active roster is P.J. Walker. A depth option with the team since 2020, the 27-year-old has won each of his two career starts. He will, in all likelihood, be seeking a third victory on Sunday as Carolina begins the post-Rhule era.

Latest On Panthers’ QB Situation

October 4th, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers have been receiving plenty of attention lately given the struggles of their quarterback and the increasing calls for a head coaching change. For at least the short-term future, though, the status quo appears likely to continue on both fronts.

When speaking to the media yesterday, Matt Rhule continued to support summer trade acquisition Baker Mayfield as the team’s starter. “I think Baker’s our quarterback. We have to continue to find ways to help him,” he said (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic).

In the franchise’s latest attempt to solidify the position, Carolina executed a long-anticipated trade for the former No. 1 pick in July. Mayfield took a pay cut to facilitate his move out of Cleveland, and quickly won the training camp competition between he and incumbent Sam Darnold. Things have not started as well as anyone had hoped, however.

Mayfield has completed less than 55% of his attempts, totaling 747 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. His 75.0 quarterback rating is a career-low mark, and the Panthers rank last in the NFL at an average of 283 yards per contest. Those figures fall well short of expectations entering the season, where a return to health for the Oklahoma product was thought to provide stability and an upgrade over Darnold.

The latter’s health represents the most immediate reason why Mayfield will remain the starter for the time being. Darnold has begun the season on IR due to an ankle sprain; despite the fact that he is now eligible to return, Rhule said that he is not ready to do so, with Week 6 being a more realistic target (Twitter link via ESPN’s David Newton). Darnold’s level of play last year led to the team’s urgency in trading for Mayfield, so it would come as a surprise if he were to return to the No. 1 role.

“I just feel like we have to expect more than that from all of us as an offense,” Rhule added via Person when asked about the unit’s struggles (subscription required). “Offensively, we have to score more points. And that starts with me, goes to [offensive coordinator] Ben [McAdoo], goes to the assistant coaches and players. We have to get it corrected.”

South Notes: Saints, Darnold, Colts

September 14th, 2022 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Links between Patrick Mahomes and other teams have emerged in the past. The Cardinals were preparing to draft the eventual Chiefs megastar five years ago. Sean Payton also confirmed the rumored story of his old team’s plans with the then-Texas Tech prospect. During his latest FOX appearance (h/t NFL.com’s Peter Schrager), the former Saints coach said he was prepared to draft Mahomes at No. 11 in 2017. While Payton confirmed he discussed the selection with Drew Brees and informed the future Hall of Famer a Mahomes pick would not impact his starter status, the Saints also viewed Marshon Lattimore as a top-four player in the 2017 class.

Payton said in 2020 the team did not have a clear choice between Lattimore and Mahomes, though then-Kansas City GM John Dorsey made New Orleans’ decision easier with the trade-up for the quarterback. Payton said this week Mahomes was “the best quarterback I’d ever seen on college tape.” The Saints had worked out Mahomes in Lubbock that year. Hindsight would suggest the Saints needed to be ready to climb into the top 10 for such a talent, but Mahomes was not viewed as a surefire top-10 pick that year. GM Mickey Loomis also said Lattimore falling impacted the team’s decision not to trade up for Mahomes. Both Mahomes and Lattimore are now signed to long-term contracts, though the former’s prime should be expected to last longer.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

The NFL’s longest-tenured general manager, excluding those with owner-GM or coach-GM roles, Loomis has seen fellow Saints cornerstones Payton and Brees depart in the past two offseasons. But the 21st-year Saints front office boss is not planning to join them in leaving anytime soon, via Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. When the acclaimed salary cap guru does walk away, Jeff Ireland looms as a logical successor. The former Dolphins GM is well-regarded by Loomis and others in the organization, Duncan adds. Ireland, 52, was the Dolphins’ GM from 2008-13. Currently the Saints’ assistant GM, Ireland has been with the team since 2015. The Bears interviewed Ireland for their GM post this offseason, while the Lions and Panthers met with him in 2021. It will be interesting to see if Ireland sticks around to potentially succeed Loomis or land a GM gig elsewhere before the New Orleans GM exits.
After a strained 2021 between Michael Thomas and the Saints, first-year HC Dennis Allen made connecting with the wide receiver one of his first acts upon being promoted. Allen flew to Los Angeles to have dinner with Thomas early this offseason, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com notes. Despite Thomas’ injury-plagued 2020s and the Saints’ frustration with their top wideout regarding his 2021 surgery timetable — a process that led to the All-Pro missing a full season — the team vowed not to trade him early this offseason. Thomas, 29, has returned healthy and caught two touchdown passes in the Saints’ Week 1 comeback win over the Falcons.
Potentially the Colts‘ left tackle of the future, Bernhard Raimann backed up Matt Pryor in Week 1. But the Colts used the third-round rookie in a rotation with Pryor. After Raimann played 12 of the five-period game’s 90 left tackle snaps, Frank Reich said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) he plans to continue rotating his backup in going forward. Left tackle represented the only position at which the Colts deployed a rotation, beginning a path to Raimann seizing this job full-time. The Colts re-signed Pryor on a one-year, $5.55MM deal this offseason, and Erickson offers the 2021 Colts swingman — who has never been a full-time left tackle — could be an option at right guard, should Raimann take over the blindside.
Sam Darnold is making progress toward a return. The Panthers backup has shed his walking boot, per The Athletic’s Joe Person (on Twitter). On IR due to a high ankle sprain, Darnold will miss at least the season’s first four weeks.

Panthers To Place Sam Darnold On IR

September 1st, 2022 at 11:19am CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after losing a quarterback competition to Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold suffered a high ankle sprain. He is expected to be out up to six weeks. He will be off the Panthers’ active roster for much of that stretch.

Carolina is placing Darnold on IR, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. Darnold will be sidelined for the team’s first four games. Following that, he is expected to re-emerge as Mayfield’s primary backup. This move opens up a roster spot for kicker Eddy Pineiro, who agreed to terms with the Panthers on Wednesday.

For now, P.J. Walker will play that role. The Panthers are not planning to pursue an upgrade on their backup of the past two seasons, according to Person (subscription required). While Walker was staring at the prospect of being cut earlier in camp, when the Panthers had Darnold and Matt Corral healthy, injuries have worked in the former XFL 2.0 standout’s favor. Corral underwent surgery to repair his Lisfranc injury this week, per GM Scott Fitterer. The rookie third-rounder is on season-ending IR.

This represents another bad break for Darnold, who suffered a significant shoulder injury last season. That malady prompted the Panthers to reunite with Cam Newton. This year, the team traded a conditional fifth-round pick for Mayfield, who had beaten out Darnold before his latest injury. Darnold, however, remains attached to a higher salary than Carolina’s new starter, who took a pay cut off his fifth-year option salary to facilitate a trade from Cleveland.

Darnold, 25, will go through a fifth straight season missing at least three games. He will be down at least four this year — in terms of suiting up; he may not participate in other games — but the ex-Jets starter also battled shoulder trouble in 2020, contracted mononucleosis in 2019 and suffered a foot sprain as a rookie. The former USC star entered this season having missed 10 career games.

Panthers QB Sam Darnold Expected To Miss Four To Six Weeks

August 27th, 2022 at 12:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Sam Darnold will miss at least a handful of regular season games, if not the first month of the season. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the Panthers backup quarterback is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks with a high-ankle sprain.

Darnold exited last night’s game after Bills defensive tackle C.J. Brewer rolled over the QB’s ankle. The injury looked severe, with ESPN’s David Newton tweeting that Darnold’s lucky his ankle isn’t broken. Instead, Darnold is dealing with a high-ankle sprain that will sideline him for at least a month, and the injury could ultimately necessitate a trip to injured reserve.

While recently-named starting QB Baker Mayfield appears to be healthy heading into the regular season, the rest of the Panthers QB room is banged up. Darnold joins rookie Matt Corral, who is out for the season after suffering a Lisfranc injury, on the shelf. This means P.J. Walker, who was once believed to be on the roster bubble, is the team’s temporary backup quarterback. The Panthers entered the preseason believing they’d be rostering three QBs (Mayfield, Darnold, Corral), and with the team down to only two healthy arms, it remains to be seen how the depth chart will look come Week 1. A lot of it depends on the health of Darnold, according to head coach Matt Rhule.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Rhule said about making any additions (via Newton). “Sam’s a tough kid. He usually comes back really quickly. I’d say nothing’s off the table.”

Speaking of the team’s now-depleted depth at quarterback, Rhule was also asked about the possibility of adding former MVP Cam Newton back to the group.

“You guys know my feelings on Cam, but probably too early to say anything about that,” Rhule said (via Joseph Person of The Athletic on Twitter).

After spending the 2020 season in New England, Newton returned to Carolina last season and started five games.

Panthers QB Sam Darnold Carted Off Field

August 26th, 2022 at 8:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers may have more QB troubles coming their way. Backup Sam Darnold has been carted off the field during the team’s preseason finale against the Bills, reports ESPN’s David Newton (Twitter link). NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that he is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, and that he will have an MRI tomorrow.

The 25-year-old had his left ankle twisted while taking a hit (video link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). The play has resulted in the second piece of bad news for him this week; head coach Matt Rhule recently named Baker Mayfield the team’s starting quarterback. The position is facing serious question marks now, however.

Third-round rookie Matt Corral is likely out for the season after he suffered a Lisfranc injury. He was not in the running for the starting role, but had a comfortable grip on the No. 3 spot as a developmental reserve. If Darnold were to miss any significant time, Mayfield would of course remain a first-teamer, but the team would be dangerously thin behind him.

The team has announced, to no surprise, that Darnold will not return. The Panthers also have two other notable players who have gotten banged up during tonight’s game. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown left the contest with an oblique injury, Newton tweets. Any absence from the 2020 first-rounder would be a major blow to the team’s defensive interior.

In addition, kicker Zane Gonzalez required a cart to leave the field, as noted (on Twitter) by The Athletic’s Joseph Person. He suffered a groin injury and, like Darnold and Brown, will not return. The 27-year-old was injured last season during warmups before a game against the Bills.

In Darnold’s absence, P.J. Walker has taken over at QB. The multi-year backup won each of the starts he has made during spot-duty with the team, but was thought to be on the roster bubble even after Corral’s injury. A significant absence from Darnold, in conjunction with Corral being sidelined indefinitely, could leave Walker with a clear path to a roster spot. With more than $21MM in cap space, the Panthers could also have the flexibility to add a more experienced insurance policy.

Panthers Name Baker Mayfield Starting QB

August 22nd, 2022 at 11:43am CST by Adam La Rose

The Panthers have been holding an open competition for their starting quarterback spot throughout training camp, and the winner of that battle has been named. The team announced on Monday that Baker Mayfield will occupy the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

That news comes as little surprise, given the team’s acquisition of the former Heisman winner in July. Mayfield, especially if healthier than last season, should represent a significant upgrade over incumbent Sam Darnold. It became clear in the aftermath of the deal that Panthers’ preference was to bring in Mayfield much earlier in the offseason; the delay gave Darnold a temporary edge given his knowledge of the team’s offense, but things began to change quickly.

Two weeks ago, it became clear that Mayfield was distancing himself as the clear-cut top option under center. Today’s confirmation comes after he played just one series so far in the preseason, but showcased enough in doing so to point to the consistent level of play at the position Carolina has been looking for, as noted by SI’s Albert Breer. NFL Network’s James Palmer tweets that Mayfield will start the team’s final preseason game on Friday.

“When we started this process, we were looking at three things,” head coach Matt Rhule said (via Palmer, on Twitter). “Number one, mastery of the offense, number two, situational football excellence, and number three, moving the ball and getting guys involved. That’s been our focus all along.”

Today’s news also confirms that Mayfield’s Panthers debut will be against the Browns to open the regular season. Cleveland is paying $10.5MM of his fifth-year option salary, a move which was necessary to move on from the former No. 1 pick as the team transitions to Deshaun Watson. In spite of that, Mayfield is insisting that his focus is not on proving his former team wrong for replacing him.

“It’s not a redemption year,” he said, via ESPN’s David Newton. “I know what I’m capable of. I’m not trying to prove anything to anybody else. I’m just trying to lead this locker room the best I can and win a bunch of ball games.”

With the competition settled, Darnold will now be relegated to the backup role after his underwhelming Jets tenure. Carolina has made it clear on multiple occasions, though, that they are not looking to trade him. As unsurprising as today’s announcement is, it marks another disappointing chapter in his NFL career. Nonetheless, the Panthers are set at the most important position in advance of a season where a significant improvement is desperately needed.

NFC South Rumors: Darnold, Christensen, Bucs, Murphy-Bunting, Werner

August 13th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Ely Allen

As Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield starts to run away with the starting job, questions have been raised about the future of incumbent starter Sam Darnold. When a rumor surfaced that Carolina may be shopping the fifth-year passer, general manager Scott Fitterer pulled Darnold aside to set him at ease, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic.

“I talked to Scott,” Darnold explained. “He said not to worry about it. To be honest, before he talked to me, I didn’t even see it. So I’m just gonna continue to do me and do what I can to put myself in a good position and put this team in a good position.”

Aiding Fitterer in convincing Darnold that he’s not likely to be dealt is Darnold’s $18.86MM salary. There could certainly be a team willing to make a call about Darnold if an injury occurs to their starter, but if the Panthers wanted to offload him, they’d likely have to eat some of his contract, as well.

There’s a good chance, though, that Darnold stays put. As Person explained, “in a league that saw only 12 teams make it through the 17-game regular season in 2021 with one quarterback,” the backup quarterback is still a crucially important position. And, while Darnold may not rank highly among the starters in today’s game, he certainly ranks as one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. The backup job appears to be his, too, as long as the Panthers continue to slow play the development of rookie third-round pick Matt Corral.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC South, starting with another note out of the Tar Heel state:

As certain as it seems that rookie first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu will start the 2022 season as the Panthers’ starting left tackle, Carolina is still giving last year’s third-round pick, Brady Christensen, plenty of snaps at the position. According to Person, Christensen took the majority of the first-team reps this past Thursday at the position. Christensen has a highly sought after versatility that gives the Panthers the option of playing him as a guard or a tackle. With Ekwonu still expected to win the starting job, perhaps offensive line coach James Campen just wants to ensure his best backup option has enough experience at one of the offensive line’s most important positions.
The Buccaneers‘ interior offensive line will look completely different in 2022 after the departures of Alex Cappa and Ali Marpet, as well as an injury that may cause center Ryan Jensen to miss a significant amount of time. Trade acquisition Shaq Mason will man the right guard position, while the left guard and center positions are still up in the air, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine. The center position is currently a battle between Robert Hainsey and Nick Leverett. Leverett is also competing for the left guard starting job with Aaron Stinnie and rookie second-round pick Luke Goedeke. A tweet from Bucs staff writer Scott Smith, though, may hint at one of the positions. Smith reports that assistant head coach & run game coordinator Harold Goodwin “hopes a decision (at left guard) will be made prior to the third preseason game” so that the new left guard can “build chemistry with Donovan Smith and (Hainsey).” Smith is projected to be the starting left tackle, so this comment from Goodwin may point to the fact that Hainsey has won the position battle at center.
We recently did a rundown of the Buccaneers’ cornerbacks room, but an update, provided by Matt Matera of the Pewter Report, may give us some new information. We claimed that Sean Murphy-Bunting was in a competition with Jamel Dean for the No. 2 cornerback spot opposite Carlton Davis, but that the loser of that battle would still likely get plenty of time as the top option at nickel. According to Matera, though, Murphy-Bunting is no longer working in the slot and is solely competing with Dean for the outside job. Matera adds that Dean seems to have the inside-track which will leave Murphy-Bunting coming off the bench.
It appears that Saints second-year linebacker Pete Werner has taken hold of the starting weak-side linebacker position next to Demario Davis, according to Jeff Duncan of nola.com. Duncan comments that the staff’s confidence in Werner is high enough that it assisted in their decision to allow former starter Kwon Alexander to walk in free agency.

Baker Mayfield To Start Panthers Preseason Opener

August 13th, 2022 at 9:22am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Baker Mayfield is getting the first crack at the Panthers’ starting QB gig. The team announced that their offseason acquisition will start today’s preseason opener against the Commanders.

Mayfield and teammate Sam Darnold have been alternating first-team snaps throughout training camp, but it will be Mayfield who will get the first look on Saturday. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects Mayfield to get one or two series before giving way to Darnold, who will also get one or two series (Twitter link). After that, the Panthers will likely lean on PJ Walker and rookie third-round pick Matt Corral for the rest of the exhibition.

On one side, it’s clearly telling that Mayfield will be playing alongside other definitive offensive starters, and throughout training camp, we’ve been given every indication that the former first-overall pick was in the lead for the starting QB job. However, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington cautions (on Twitter) that we shouldn’t take too much away from today’s game. Rather, the “true barometer” for the competition will come next week when Carolina practices against New England. According to Darlington, people with the team believe the QB decision will be made following that August 19 game against the Patriots.

Head coach Matt Rhule echoed that next week will be essential for the QB competition, noting that it was an “ongoing process” with no clear deadline.

“When we know, we know,” Rhule said (via Darin Gantt of the team’s website). “If we knew for sure, we would say it and just move on with it. When we, we know. Every day brings new evidence. Every day brings new insights. But at the same time, they’re both competitors. If one guy has a strong day, the next guy fights back the next day. I think it’s been healthy for our team. It’s been healthy for the staff. I think it’s been done the right way. I’m pleased with where it’s at.”

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