Panthers' Baker Mayfield Doubtful with Injury for Week 6; PJ Walker Likely to Start

Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield could miss Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Per the team's official injury report, the 27-year-old is officially listed as doubtful and did some running and throwing on the practice field Friday.

PJ Walker has taken all the first-team reps in practice throughout the week. He would be in line to start if Mayfield is unable to play.

Injuries are becoming a common occurrence for Mayfield. He missed three games last season while playing for the Cleveland Browns, though he played most of the year with a torn labrum and shoulder fracture.

The Panthers acquired the Oklahoma product in the offseason in the hope he could rejuvenate his career and help them win games. Things haven't worked out in either respect thus far.

Mayfield won the starting job out of preseason, but he went 1-4 in his first five starts and suffered a high ankle sprain in Carolina's 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported he could miss two-to-six weeks.

Following the game against the 49ers, Matt Rhule was fired as Panthers head coach, and defensive passing game coordinator Steve Wilks has taken over for the remainder of the season.

Prior to the ankle injury, Mayfield wasn't playing well. He was completing 54.9 percent of his passes for 962 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

Sam Darnold, who was the Panthers' starter in 2021, has been on injured reserve to start this season because of an ankle injury.

Walker has won one start in each of the past two seasons, but he also threw eight interceptions in 122 pass attempts from 2020-21. He went 5-of-6 for 60 yards against the 49ers after taking over for Mayfield in the fourth quarter.