Sam Darnold Placed on Panthers' Injured Reserve With Shoulder Injury

The Carolina Panthers officially placed quarterback Sam Darnold on injured reserve Friday because of a shoulder injury.

According to Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official website, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said earlier this week that Darnold is expected to miss four to six weeks. Placing Darnold on IR guarantees he will be out for at least the next three weeks.

P.J. Walker is in line to start at quarterback for the Panthers on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Carolina has also signed Matt Barkley and Cam Newton as insurance.

The Panthers began the season 3-0, and Darnold seemed to be trending toward becoming a quality NFL quarterback after things didn't work out with the New York Jets, but he and the Panthers as a whole have gone south since then.

Darnold is now 4-5 on the season, and he has completed just 59.5 percent of his passes for 1,986 yards, seven touchdowns and an NFL-high 11 interceptions. He has also rushed for 185 yards and a career-high five scores.

Last week marked Darnold's worst performance of the season and one of the worst of his four-year career.

In a 24-6 loss to the New England Patriots, Darnold went 16-of-33 for 172 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Darnold injured his shoulder during that game after leaving the Panthers' 19-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons the previous week with an unrelated shoulder ailment.

Walker, who played collegiately under Rhule at Temple, is set to make his second career NFL start Sunday. He started one game last season, completing 24 of his 34 attempts for 258 yards with one touchdown and two picks in a 20-0 win over the Detroit Lions.

Football fans perhaps know Walker best for his dominant performance in the XFL in 2020 before the league folded.

While the starting job is Walker's for now, Newton is waiting in the wings, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him take over soon.

Newton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft by the Panthers, and he spent the first nine years of his career in Carolina before getting released prior to the 2020 season.

The 32-year-old veteran struggled mightily last season as a passer with the New England Patriots, completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Newton is an icon of sorts in Carolina, though, as he was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Panthers and presided over the greatest season in franchise history.

He led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and took them to the Super Bowl in 2015 while also being named NFL MVP.

Newton may not be that same player any longer, but with Darnold on the shelf, he has a chance to take back the job he held for nine seasons.