Panthers Interim Coach May Start Different QB Upon Baker Mayfield's Return

Carolina Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks is looking for answers to address issues among their ranks.

One of them is their starting quarterback predicament, something that may be resolved once Baker Mayfield is cleared to return to action from an ankle sprain injury.

However, it appears Wilks has other things in mind.

Assuming that the 27-year-old is cleared and ready to resume starting quarterback duties, the 53-year-old coach is not fully guaranteeing that Mayfield will remain as the Panthers' starting play-caller.

"I can't give you that answer," Wilks told David Newton of ESPN. "But I can tell you right now those guys [in the quarterback room] are going to compete at that position just as well as other positions do to see who exactly goes out there on Sunday."

At the moment, Carolina only has one healthy quarterback in form of Jacob Eason.

The 24-year-old took over from PJ Walker, who exited the game following a hard hit on a second-half sack.

Walker has cleared concussion protocols but is allegedly still dealing with a neck injury according to Wilks.

Hence, questions remain on whether Walker will be ready on Sunday, October 23 when the Panthers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Another quarterback on their injured list is Sam Darnold.

He is another player expected to come off the injured reserve this week after recovering from a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in August.

But Wilks chose not to get his hopes up too high.

"I've got a lot of confidence in him as an individual and a player, but being off so long, you don't know exactly how he's going to return," Wilks said about their situation.

Dealing with the void at the quarterback position comes not long after the trade that sent Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.

In return, Carolina received a 2024 sixth-round draft pick and a 2025 seventh-round draft pick according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The wide receiver was sent to the showers in the third quarter of the Panthers' last game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, October 16.

This was after Anderson was seen arguing with his coaches, the details of which were reported in a previous post here on the International Business Times.