The Carolina Panthers’ quarterback situation isn’t exactly ideal. That being said, head coach Matt Rhule has already revealed who’s in line to be the Week 1 starter.
“If we played today,” Sam [Darnold] would be our quarterback,” Rhule told reporters.
Rhule then said that if the Panthers can make a “significant” upgrade at the quarterback position, they should. Whether or not Baker Mayfield qualifies as a significant upgrade is up to their front office.
These comments from Rhule come just a week after he praised Darnold.
“I thought Sam was outstanding today,” Rhule said last Wednesday, via ProFootballTalk. “Probably his best practice since he’s been here.”
Last season, Darnold completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,527 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. It was an underwhelming season for the former No. 3 overall pick.
The Panthers have a large sum of money committed to Darnold for the 2022 season – $18.858 million to be exact. That doesn’t mean he’ll be the starter for all 17 games though.
With training camp a little over a month away, the Panthers have time to search up and down the quarterback market.