Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield reportedly suffered a high-ankle sprain during Sunday’s 37–15 loss to the 49ers, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The starting quarterback underwent an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his injury. He is expected to seek out a second opinion to gain clarity on how long his recovery should be.
As of right now, the injury will sideline him “at least a couple weeks,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If he is placed on the injured reserve list, he will have to miss at least four games, per league protocol.
The Panthers’ previous starter, Sam Darnold, is currently on the IR with the same high-ankle sprain. He was eligible to be taken off the IR ahead of Sunday’s game vs. the 49ers, but now former coach Matt Rhule said Darnold was “not close” to returning last Monday. His timeline is unknown.
In Mayfield’s place, backup PJ Walker is in line to start on Sunday vs. the Rams. He played in the final drive of the Panthers’ game vs. the 49ers, finishing with five completions out of six attempts for 60 yards.
Monday has been a big day of change for the Panthers after Rhule and the team parted ways following his 11–27 overall record through less than three seasons.
Steve Wilks will take over as interim head coach with the Panthers 1–4 on the year.
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