Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks started the week by telling reporters that a decision on a starting quarterback would be made on Wednesday. Well, it didn’t take that long.
The team officially came out with that news on Tuesday, announcing that Sam Darnold will be under center against the Denver Broncos in Week 12. Darnold now supplants fellow 2018 draftee Baker Mayfield—who turned in another underwhelming performance in a 13-3 loss this past Sunday.
So, why the change?
“It was something that I wanted to do,” Wilks said. “I felt like, again, just putting us in the best position to have an opportunity to win. And Sam, again, did not play much this year because of the high-ankle sprain that he received in preseason. He had to go through the process of working his way back.
“But I think the skill set is there. And, again, I felt like I wanted to give him that opportunity to see what he can go out and do.”
This’ll be Darnold’s first piece of regular-season action, let alone his first start, in 2022. The fifth-year passer sustained that setback in the preseason finale on Aug. 26 and spent the first 11 weeks of the campaign on the sideline.
Wilks also noted that PJ Walker may not be ready to return from his high-ankle sprain and that Mayfield is, indeed, the backup to Darnold for the contest.
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