After weeks of speculation, it's official. Baker Mayfield is the new starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Matt Rhule made the announcement today. In the statement, he said that Baker had made a lot of improvement in the short time he's been with the team and is strong in three key areas: mastery of offense, situational circumstances and moving the ball. Rhule says Sam Darnold has worked hard in training camp and will be ready to go if needed. With WFAE's Gwendolyn Glenn to talk sports is Langston Wertz Jr., a sportswriter with the Charlotte Observer.
The Panthers lost 20-10 against the Patriots in Friday's preseason away game. But in addition to a starting quarterback being named, Matt Corral's foot injury is also making news. Rhule says that the rookie quarterback tore his Lisfranc ligament and called it a "significant injury."
"Cam Newton had the same injury in 2019. It's a tear to the joint that connects the long bones that lead up to the toes with the bones in the foot's arch. Newton's was considered less severe than Corral's and Newton only played two games in 2019 before he had to shut it down and eventually had surgery," said Wertz Jr. "The Panthers plan to keep three quarterbacks after having four at camp so I guess this means P.J. Walker is going to stay around as number three. Tough blow for Corral, the Panthers were potentially looking to him as a quarterback of the future and now they're going to have to wait a little while to see what he has."
ICKEY 😱 pic.twitter.com/RVEQ3Ors3M
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 19, 2022
You can listen to the full Time Out for Sports conversation above. Here’s a quick look at what else Glenn and Wertz Jr. covered this week.
- How first-round pick Ickey Ekwonu looked as starting left tackle
- How Charlotte FC's loss to Orlando City on Sunday affects their playoff chances. Plus, the team's planned news headquarters at McAlpine Park.
- UNC-Chapel Hill's women's basketball coach Courtney Banghart found herself in hot water after calling N.C. State fans "classless" on a podcast.
- Queens University enters its first season as a Division I school. And do we think a football team is in its future?
