Change has already come to the Panthers, with Steve Wilks taking over as the interim head coach and receiver Robbie Anderson traded to the Cardinals.
But there could be even more on the horizon when it comes to quarterback.
While Baker Mayfield is recovering from an ankle sprain right now, Wilks did not commit to keeping Mayfield as the starting QB when he’s healthy during his Monday press conference.
“I can’t give you that answer,” Wilks said via David Newton of ESPN. “But I can tell you right now those guys [in the quarterback room] are going to compete at that position just as well as other positions do to see who exactly goes out there on Sunday.”
Currently, the Panthers have just one healthy quarterback and he isn’t even on the 53-man roster. Practice squad QB Jacob Eason finished Sunday’s loss when PJ Walker exited the contest after sustaining a hard hit on a second-half sack. While Walker cleared concussion protocol, Wilks said he’s still dealing with a neck injury and it’s “tough to say” if Walker will be able to start against the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Walker, however, told reporters he will be ready to practice on Wednesday.
Sam Darnold is also expected to come off injured reserve this week after recovering from a high-ankle sprain suffered in August. But Wilks noted it’s “hard to say” much about Darnold’s status given that he hasn’t seen him healthy in a while.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in him as an individual and a player, but being off so long, you don’t know exactly how he’s going to return,” Wilks said.
The Panthers rank 27th in points scored and last in total yards. Mayfield has completed 55 percent of his passes for 962 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Walker is 15-of-22 for 120 yards in two appearances. Eason was 3-of-5 passing for 59 yards with an interception in Sunday’s loss.