Panthers QB Baker Mayfield is set to miss time following an ankle injury, but how much?
Despite the fact that he was able to continue the game on Sunday, it now seems as though the Panthers’ starting QB will have to spend some time on the sidelines.
Things aren’t good in Carolina at the moment. With their coach dismissed and news now confirming that their starting QB is set to miss time due to injury, the Panthers have got two major headaches.
Panthers QB Baker Mayfield out with ankle injury
According to reports, Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield sustained a left high-ankle sprain during Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers. It is understood that Mayfield will miss time, however, there has been no official word on just how much. To add even further inconvenience, backup Sam Darnold is currently on the injured reserve having suffered a high-ankle sprain of his own. What that means, is that third-year QB P.J. Walker will have to step into the fold when the Panthers take on defending Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams this coming Sunday.
Bad Timing: First Matt Rhule and then Baker Mayfield
With heads already turned, when news broke of the Panthers’ decision to fire head coach Matt Rhule, it was a case of ‘bad to worse’ when just a few hours later reports confirmed Mayfield’s injury. As things stand, secondary coach Steve Wilks is expected to serve as interim coach. Where the injury itself is concerned, Mayfield appeared to roll his ankle during a tackle in the first half of Sunday’s 37-15 loss. Though he did in fact return to play in the second half, he attended the postgame press conference wearing a walking boot on his left leg.
This is of course very unfortunate news for both the team and the former No. 1 overall pick. Indeed, since joining the Panthers from the Cleveland Browns who drafted him, Mayfield has visibly struggled. In his five starts in Carolina, the signal caller has completed an abysmal 54.9% of his passes - yes that’s a career low. So far, Mayfield has averaged 192.4 passing yards per game with four touchdowns and four interceptions during a 1-4 start to the Panthers’ season. Ultimately, the Panthers can only wait and see where Mayfield’s recovery is concerned. As for the aforementioned Walker, this is his third season as Carolina’s backup and in truth, he’s not seen a ton of action. In two starts - 2020 and 2021 - the QB completed 57% of his passes for 6.2 yards per attempt, to go with two touchdowns and eight interceptions. Not exactly inspiring numbers, but in fairness, the Panthers did win both of those games.