On Wednesday, Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said he and his staff have a “really good plan” in place at the quarterback position. On Friday, that “really good plan” will see, well, an intriguing approach in the team’s second preseason game.
As announced just hours before kickoff against the New England Patriots, backups PJ Walker and Matt Corral will share the outing under center—with Walker getting the first and third quarters and Corral getting the second and fourth. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, who received the vast majority of reps in joint practices earlier this week, will not play.
Rhule explained, per reporter Darin Gantt, the thinking behind the move.
“It’s two things; we want to see them both with the same groups, as best we can, so they both have the same set of receivers, and there’s a consistency there,” Rhule said. “And then we see them with the third group, so there’s some consistency there.
“Then the second part, and this was coach McAdoo’s idea, and his perspective, as a backup quarterback, you have to be ready to go in the game at a moment’s notice, and you have to be able to excel and play well without having much of a chance to warm up. This is our way of simulating that for them, where they have to warm up and get cooled down and go in there and be hot; that’s how I see it.”
This, obviously, means Friday night will serve as a showcase for the rookie and the third-year veteran—with the latter likely being the odd man out by the time the 53-man roster is formed. And whether they’re showcasing him for themselves or another team that’s potentially in the market for a passer, Walker is getting himself a fine opportunity here.
As for Corral, he’ll try to bounce back from a rude welcoming on Saturday—when he completed just one of his nine attempts in the 23-21 win over the Washington Commanders.
