Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold, who has been recovering from a shoulder injury sustained week nine against the Patriots, has returned to practice and been cleared to play by the team’s medical staff. Wednesday, head coach Matt Rhule said that while Cam Newton will start and play a good amount of minutes, Sam Darnold will take snaps Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We got him some reps in practice today. I thought he looked good out there. Cam will start the game and have a major role in the game, but Sam will play at some point.”
“Sam was 4-5 as a starter,” Rhule continued. “He had some excellent moments early. We all know he hit kind of a rut there. He’s had some time off, so when he has an opportunity to play I certainly would love to see him show what he can do. We brought him here to be a starter.”
Rhule would no go into specifics about how he will utilize both Newton and Darnold in the game plan.