Questions still loom about who will start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers when they take on the New England Patriots Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. PJ Walker has been taking first-team snaps all week, with Sam Darnold limited and in concussion protocol after taking a hard hit during the Panthers’ week eight win against the Falcons. Carolina has also been without running back Christian McCaffrey, who has been nursing a hamstring injury since week-three.
Friday, Matt Rhule said he is hopeful both with be available Sunday – in some capacity.
I’m hopeful that Christian might play. We’ll go out there tomorrow and see how it goes. With regard to Sam, I’m hopeful that he will play too. He had a good walk-thru today. He would have to clear the protocol and he’s still working on his shoulder, but I think he looks good and signs are positive. We’ll see what he can do tomorrow and I think anything is on the table. He could be up for this game which would be great.
If cleared, Rhule also said that they may use Darnold as the back-up in an emergency situation.
If Christian plays, don’t expect the team to give their star running back 40-50 touches out of the gate. With Chuba Hubbard and Ameer Abdullah playing well, Rhule says they feel very comfortable easing McCaffrey back into the mix.
Here’s Friday’s Full Injury Report:
