Steve Wilks just chalked up his first win as interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers. And even despite the possibility of having both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold at his disposal in the upcoming week, he may still be going with the guy who helped him to that dub.
Following his team’s shocking 21-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Wilks was asked if quarterback PJ Walker earned a shot at starting again next week against the Atlanta Falcons. His answer was extremely interesting.
“PJ had an outstanding performance,” he said. “And when you look at what he did today, we still gotta evaluate the tape, it’s gonna be hard to try and pull him out.”
Walker was exceptionally composed throughout his outing, connecting 16 of his 22 attempts for 177 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Those two scores were particularly pretty, as he hit wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Tommy Tremble on a pair of sharp downfield throws.
Following a Week 6 performance where he completed zero passes beyond the line of scrimmage, Walker wanted it to be known that he’s more than capable of leading this offense and getting them over the hump.
“Just that I can be trusted with the football in my hand,” he said of the statement he hoped to make today. “Make the right decision at the right time. Even late in the game, we had an opportunity to throw the ball, and I made the right decision.”
Speaking of decisions, who will Wilks ultimately decide on under center moving forward?
Will Mayfield or Darnold make enough of a return in practice this week to challenge for the spot? Or will Walker keep gaining the trust of the coaching staff?
