Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral had a nondescript performance in Friday's 20-10 preseason loss against the New England Patriots but more concerning is Corral's health after the game.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters Corral is getting X-rays on his foot after he came out of the game late in the fourth quarter after getting stepped on.

Corral was seen leaving the stadium with a boot on his foot.

Corral played only the second and fourth quarters in Friday's game, alternating with third-year backup PJ Walker. The rookie went 9-of-15 for 58 yards as the Panthers offense struggled to develop a rhythm against the Patriots. Rhule's decision to limit Corral to two quarters of play received some criticism from fans on social media.

A third-round pick out of Ole Miss, Corral is looked at as a prospective quarterback of the future for Carolina. He had a quiet preseason debut last week against the Washington Commanders, going 1-of-9 for 11 yards. It doesn't appear that his development is a priority for the team this offseason.

The Panthers are in the middle of a quarterback competition between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, both of whom were given the night off on Friday after taking most of the reps in joint practices with New England. Mayfield received the start against Washington, while Darnold threw a touchdown. It is not yet clear which quarterback Rhule is leaning toward.

The decision for this season's starter will be a crucial one, as Rhule is undoubtedly on the hot seat. In his first two seasons as head coach he has a combined record of 10-23, so the Panthers are surely hoping for better results in 2022.

After a lackluster showing in his preseason debut last week, Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral didn't have much of an opportunity to showcase his skills in the team's 20-10 loss against the New England Patriots on Friday.

Corral finished 9-of-15 for 58 yards after going 1-of-9 for 11 yards last week against the Washington Commanders. He played the second and fourth quarters of Friday's game at Gillette Stadium, while third-year backup P.J. Walker played the first and third, a decision made by head coach Matt Rhule with Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold getting the night off in the midst of their quarterback competition.

While the idea to alternate quarters between two quarterbacks may have sounded good in theory, it proved detrimental to both Corral and Walker. Neither of them was able to get into a rhythm as Carolina's offense struggled to move the ball. Throughout the game, fans and pundits ripped Rhule for not committing to the rookie and giving him the chance to develop while Mayfield and Darnold sat out.

Corral should play the rest of the game. He won't come back until the 4th but we all know what's going on. PJ is auditioning for other teams. I still think its possible they trade Sam before the end of preseason but what team would take on that deal? Maybe one.

— Christian Audi (@TheEpicAudi) August 20, 2022

Panthers GM says, live on air, that Matt Corral needs more reps.

At the same time, PJ Walker is playing QB on the field of a preseason game.

Hello.

— Cameron (@CABrafford) August 20, 2022

Rhule needs to give Corral more reps. It shows that he isnt getting enough

— Titan_BlaZe (@The_Titan_BlaZe) August 20, 2022

Matt Rhule for two weeks straight hasn't put Matt Corral in any position to succeed.

— Go DJ (@iAmDJSmooth_) August 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/Stack_Edwards/status/1560769731774369793

Dear Coach Rhule, stop playing Walker and play Corral. It’s not hard.

— Sir Kimble (@SdotKimble) August 19, 2022

I would’ve preferred to give Matt Corral the start tonight - since Rhule has this extra goofy relationship with Sam Darnold. https://t.co/WsW96avogl

— Panthers Culture 🥷🏽 (@PanthersCulture) August 19, 2022

Matt Rhule wants to turn Matt Corral into David Carr so damn bad

— Primetime Carolina (@primetimecar) August 20, 2022

Rhule’s treatment of Corral kinda reminds me of how Borrego treated LaMelo 😔

— Kyle Warner (Kwarn) 🎤🚀🚀🚀 (@kwarninthemorn) August 20, 2022

Corral turned heads during his opening drive, making quick decisions and crisp passes. The drive ended with a punt, but it was enough to impress critics. His second drive was cut short because of a fumble by receiver Stephen Sullivan after a short completion.

Corral giving off some rookie Russ Wilson vibes to me. Good long ball, elusive, quick throws. Plenty there to work with.

— Carolina Huddle (@CarolinaHuddle) August 20, 2022

The rookie @corral_matt looking sharp early 🎯

📺: #CARvsNE on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/IOlNg81vP9 pic.twitter.com/vvpfrtk8mb

— NFL (@NFL) August 19, 2022

Matt Corral using his legs 🏃‍♂️💨

📺: #CARvsNE on NFL Network (or check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/IrukUr476A pic.twitter.com/JYkuORX3xN

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 20, 2022

Matt Corral already has surpassed his completions total from last week.

— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 19, 2022

Corral looking like he belongs.

Big improvement over last week. Of course, he is playing with better players also.

— Carolina Huddle (@CarolinaHuddle) August 19, 2022

Another nice third-down throw by Matt Corral for a first down.

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 20, 2022

That was a big-time throw by Matt Corral, whether it's ruled a fumble or an incomplete pass. Corral could be the best QB on the Carolina roster by the end of the season.

— Christopher Gasper (@cgasper) August 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/KennyRamsey22/status/1560782789498257411

Corral had a prime opportunity to showcase his skills with a two-minute drive, but his first pass was nearly intercepted by Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson. Corral completed a pass on third down, but it was measured to be inches short of the first-down marker.

The Panthers elected to punt rather than go for it deep in their own territory. Corral ended the quarter 6-of-10 for 28 yards. Fans turned on him briefly for faltering on his final drive of the quarter.

Mack Wilson read Matt Corral all the way on that one. Would have had a walk-in Pick Six had he held on to the ball.

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) August 20, 2022

Matt Corral has had a rough couple of games so far.

— Joe Dolan (@FG_Dolan) August 20, 2022

I went to Golden Corral today, and now I’m watching Matt Corral. Golden Corral was better.

— EDC #1 (@pastliferec) August 20, 2022

Panthers fans watching Matt Corral. 💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/xOlS1jC0pK

— PWszn (@PutridLobster) August 20, 2022

Matt Corral takes a knee to end the first half. He's 6-of-10 for 28 yards passing.

Some flashes, still a work in progress.

— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) August 20, 2022

The fourth quarter was fairly uneventful, with Corral's first two drives ending with punts after minimal gains. He managed to complete three more passes for 30 yards, but he was later ruled out of the game with a foot injury.

Walker was inserted into the contest with less than two minutes left, and he was sacked in his own end zone on the ensuing drive. The Patriots recovered the fumble for the touchdown. Walker threw an interception to end the game several plays later.

Thanks to some questionable coaching decisions, Corral has not had the proper chance to get used to life in the NFL. Friday's game was a prime opportunity for the third-round rookie to get some significant playing time with Mayfield and Darnold out of the lineup.

The Panthers have to hope Corral's foot injury isn't too serious, as it's clear that his development has already been impacted by Rhule failing to give him a genuine chance.

Carolina Panthers quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold have been ruled out for Friday's preseason game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium after taking on most of the work in joint practices this week, per Darin Gantt of the team website.

With Mayfield and Darnold set to receive some much-needed rest, PJ Walker and rookie quarterback Matt Corral will each play two quarters against the Patriots.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule explained the decision to give Corral and Walker more playing time Friday:

"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. 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."

Walker saw the majority of playing time in the team's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders. He completed 10 of 19 passes for 136 yards and rushed for 12 yards.

Corral played the fourth quarter against Washington and completed just one of nine passes for 11 yards and rushed for six yards.

Walker has spent the last two seasons in Carolina and appeared in five games in 2021, including one start. He completed 54.5 percent of his passes for 362 yards and one touchdown against three interceptions.

Corral, meanwhile, spent the last four seasons at Ole Miss and was selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2022 draft.

While the Panthers want to see what they have in both Walker and Corral, it's hard to imagine either player will see time as a backup this season, as whoever loses the starting job in the competition between Mayfield and Darnold will likely serve as QB2.

Mayfield is expected to be named the starter for Week 1, per The Athletic's Jeff Howe and Joe Person, which would mean Darnold, who served as QB1 for the franchise last year, would be in line to back him up.

The Panthers open the 2022 season against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 11.

Baker Mayfield will have a chance to defeat his former team in Week 1.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Mayfield is expected to be named the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers over Sam Darnold. That means he will be under center when the Panthers host the Cleveland Browns for their season opener.

Carolina acquired Mayfield from the Browns via trade in July and sent the AFC North team a conditional draft pick.

The move came one offseason after the Panthers traded for Darnold, who was the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft. He failed to live up to expectations during his first three seasons with the New York Jets, and it was more of the same during his first year in Carolina.

Darnold was 4-7 as a starter and had nine touchdown passes to 13 interceptions.

Enter Mayfield, who happened to be the No. 1 overall pick in the same draft where New York selected Darnold. He seemed to be on a much better trajectory with 3,725 passing yards, 27 touchdown throws and 14 interceptions as a rookie, although he threw 21 picks in his second season.

Mayfield's tenure with the Browns was filled with ups and downs.

He struggled with turnovers, throwing 56 interceptions in 60 appearances. Yet he led Cleveland to a playoff appearance in 2020, which was the franchise's first since the 2002 campaign. That playoff season was his best individual effort, as he completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Then the 2021 campaign largely derailed that momentum.

Cleveland went 8-9 and missed the postseason, Mayfield dealt with injury concerns on his way to 17 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, and Odell Beckham Jr.'s father made headlines when he posted a video of the quarterback missing his son with throws.

Beckham ended up winning a Super Bowl for the Los Angeles Rams, and the Browns traded Mayfield to the Panthers after they acquired Deshaun Watson and signed him to a five-year contract.

Mayfield has an opportunity to bounce back in a different uniform, and the journey will start against a familiar team.

The New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers are holding joint-practices this week leading up to their preseason game on Friday, and it didn't take long for tensions to boil over.

The two teams reportedly had two fights in Tuesday's practice, including a huge brawl that resulted in three ejections. According to Mark Daniels of USA Today, a total of five players, three of whom were Patriots, were tossed from the practice.

https://twitter.com/HurwitzSports/status/1559560953645105154

Per Daniels, the issues between the two teams began early during full-team drills. During the second period, Patriots receiver Kristian Wilkerson began getting into it with some Panthers defensive backs following multiple instances where they held onto his jersey after the whistle was blown.

Wilkerson was reportedly shoved by an unidentified Carolina assistant coach, which was immediately followed by the receiver being "grabbed by multiple Panthers players and later punched." A New England offensive player joined the pile, and then Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne was then seen "squaring up and throwing punches with another Panthers defensive back."

Wilkerson, Bourne and Panthers safety Kenny Robinson were all kicked out of practice.

Soon after the fracas, Patriots offensive tackle Trent Brown and Panthers defensive end Brian Burns got into a verbal exchange. Not long after that, Patriots center James Ferentz and Panthers defensive tackle Phil Hoskins were seen fighting after the whistle because "it appeared Hoskins slammed Ferentz to the ground." Ferentz and Hoskins were ejected from practice.

"We came here not to fight. We came here to practice," Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said. "It shows maturity in a lot of other guys that it didn’t escalate into a big thing."

Ahead of the Carolina Panthers' second preseason game this week, there doesn't appear to be a clear front-runner in the team's quarterback competition.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters Monday that Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold will continue to share first-team reps during Carolina's joint practices with the New England Patriots before the two teams meet on Friday.

Mayfield got the start under center on Saturday in Carolina's 23-21 win in the preseason opener against the Washington Commanders. He played only one series and completed four of seven passes for 46 yards. He had a small hiccup when he fumbled a snap in the red zone that resulted in a 3rd-and-14, which he didn't convert before the drive ended with a field goal.

Darnold took over after the Panthers recovered a fumble at Washington's 19-yard line. On his third play, he threw an eight-yard touchdown to Rashard Higgins. He played one more series and finished 2-of-3 for 16 yards.

Both Mayfield and Darnold downplayed their competition after the game Saturday.

"It was my turn to start," Mayfield said. "Just take it one day at a time. Don't be critical of ourselves and try to get better."

Said Darnold: "For me personally, it's doing everything I can with the plays that I have. That's how I've got to take it at this point."

While there isn't much separation between Mayfield and Darnold on the field, determining the starter for this season might come down to their intangibles. ESPN's David Newton recently reported that Mayfield's personality and confidence give him an edge over Darnold in their competition.

"I want them to push the envelope," Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo said of what he wants in a signal-caller. “I don’t want them to be afraid to make mistakes."

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule declined to commit to Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold as the team's starting quarterback following a 23-21 preseason win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday.

"I have to really watch the tape to see exactly what they did, but I thought they were both in command," he told reporters. "They made the right checks, so I was pleased."

Rhule added that because Mayfield opened the game didn't mean he had made up his mind:

Panthers coach Matt Rhule on Baker Mayfield starting over Sam Darnold: “That was just for today. Just for today. Both guys played well in terms of production.’’

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 13, 2022

Mayfield went 4-of-7 for 45 yards through the air and only featured on the opening series. Darnold took over for the next two drives and finished 2-of-3 for 16 yards and one touchdown. He helped put Carolina ahead 10-0 in the first quarter by finding Rashard Higgins in the end zone from eight yards out.

A preseason red carpet rollout 😎 pic.twitter.com/4km3e7LmvA

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 13, 2022

Neither Mayfield nor Darnold played well enough or so poorly to render any continued uncertainty moot.

Sam Darnold comes out on a short field with a nice play action TD off his back foot under pressure. Got the TD drive Mayfield didn’t. At the very least, #Panthers should be happy is this is a competitive back and forth. https://t.co/H05aRbSHN9

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) August 13, 2022

Still, you'd probably bet on Mayfield to come out on top by the time Week 1 rolls around.

Mayfield is coming off his worst season in the NFL, and his performance still basically eclipsed Darnold's best season.

The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner threw for 3,010 yards and 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions while finishing with an 83.1 quarterback rating and a 35.1 QBR. Darnold has thrown for 3,000-plus yards just once in four years, and his QBR hit a high of 45.9 in 2018.

The Panthers acquired Mayfield on July 6, so he's had a little more than a month to acclimate. As much as Rhule played down its significance, it could be telling that Mayfield started ahead of Darnold.

The Carolina Panthers starting quarterback job might be Baker Mayfield's to lose at this point.

Mayfield opened Saturday's preseason game against the Washington Commanders and went 4-of-7 for 45 yards. He looked good in his brief time on the field before Sam Darnold took over.

The team indicated the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner would likely get only one series, so his limited cameo was expected. He generated some positivity in what was a small sample:

🧑‍🍳 baker mayfield lookin saucy!!! #KeepPounding

— Jonathan Stewart (@Jonathanstewar1) August 13, 2022

Drive stalled on a mishandled center-QB exchange and then a miscommunication on 3rd and 14. Decent start for Mayfield even though it was killed by a fumbled snap. https://t.co/H05aRbS9XB

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) August 13, 2022

https://twitter.com/JaronSpor/status/1558504412422832129

Panthers QB competition watch: Baker Mayfield 4 of 7 for 46 yards. Ran once for 3 yards, fumbled a snap inside the red zone and had a miscommunication with a receiver on third down. Now, to play the waiting game. Eh, the waiting game sucks. Let's see what Sam Darnold does.

— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) August 13, 2022

So Baker Mayfield finishes his series 4-for-7 for 46 yards. Panthers get a field goal. Good showing for Mayfield in his Carolina preseason debut.

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 13, 2022

Baker Mayfield with some good plays on that first drive. Some good improvisation. But just fell apart there close to goal line.

— Josh Bergeron (@Joshpberg) August 13, 2022

MAYFIELD—>SMITH IS THE NEW MONTANA—->RICE https://t.co/258tHmaOu1

— Roaring Riot (@roaringriot) August 13, 2022

Darnold isn't going down lightly, though.

Working with a short field, he hit Brandon Zylstra for an eight-yard pass before finding Rashard Higgins in the end zone for a touchdown.

A preseason red carpet rollout 😎 pic.twitter.com/4km3e7LmvA

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 13, 2022

Second watch showed the pressure Darnold was under was caused when Ickey Ekwonu was beaten badly at LT. https://t.co/gXfc4lh1m1

— Adam Gold (@AGoldFan) August 13, 2022

Still, one presumes Mayfield will look better as he grows more comfortable in Carolina's offense. He has only been with the team for a little more than a month following his trade from the Cleveland Browns.

Fans will certainly be eager to see whether Mayfield's and Darnold's workloads against the New England Patriots on Aug. 19 provide any added insight into head coach Matt Rhule's plans at quarterback.

Baker Mayfield will serve as the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback for their preseason opener against the Washington Commanders on Saturday, the team announced.

Joseph Person of The Athletic reported Mayfield will play the first series or two (six to eight plays) and then Sam Darnold, the other member of the team's quarterback competition, will take over the offense for the same amount of time.

The situation has seemingly been trending in Mayfield's favor since he was acquired from the Cleveland Browns in an early July trade, and drawing the start Saturday is another sign pointing in that direction.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said last week the team wouldn't make any declarations until after the second preseason game against the New England Patriots at the earliest, though.

"I'm not putting a timetable on the quarterback position until after we get back from the Patriots week," Rhule told reporters. "The Patriots week is a true litmus test for us. That will really show us where guys are."

Mayfield showed occasional signs of living up to the expectations that come with being the No. 1 overall pick across four years with the Browns, but his production was inconsistent.

The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner posted a 26-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2020, but that mark dipped to 17-13 during his final year in Cleveland.

Darnold, who was picked two slots after Mayfield in the 2018 draft, arrived to Carolina from the New York Jets last offseason. He threw more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (nine) across 12 appearances in 2021.

As a whole, the Panthers posted the worst passer rating in the NFL last season (68.5) as the trio of Darnold, Cam Newton and PJ Walker combined for 14 TDs and 21 INTs.

With Rhule seemingly entering the season on the hot seat, he's likely going to want a fresh option under center, which is another reason Mayfield might have the inside track on the job.

A few solid performances over the next couple of exhibition contests should lock in his place atop the Panthers' quarterback depth chart.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore leaped into the stands at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday night to break up an argument at the team's Fan Fest event.

Video of the interaction was posted on social media:

https://twitter.com/Keeppoundingtv/status/1558054228601573376

It's unclear what sparked the heated verbal exchange between the two men.

Fan Fest is an annual preseason practice for the Panthers that includes interactions with supporters and a fireworks show.

"It's all love," safety Jeremy Chinn told reporters. "It's so exciting seeing all these fans out here. It definitely sets the tone heading into the season; we want to protect this place, win games in this place. So seeing these fans out here, it means a lot."

Moore is entering his fifth year with Carolina after being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.

The 25-year-old Philadelphia native is coming off a strong 2021 season that saw him record a career-high 93 catches for 1,157 yards and four touchdowns across 17 games.

He's set to operate as the Panthers' No. 1 target once again in 2022, though it remains uncertain whether he'll be catching throws from Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold when the campaign gets underway as the team's quarterback competition rolls on.

Carolina plays the first of three preseason games Saturday afternoon when it visits FedEx Field to take on the Washington Commanders.