Sam Darnold knocked out of Panthers-Falcons game with concussion
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Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold headed back to the locker room with a concussion after he was injured late in Sunday’s game against the Falcons.
Darnold attempted to rush for a touchdown when he was hit hard by Falcons linebacker Royesade Oluokun. Darnold immediately came out of the game and never returned.
Darnold was replaced by backup quarterback P.J. Walker, and the Panthers scored two plays later on a 6-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard to put them ahead 19-10 with 6:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
When asked after the game about Darnold’s injury, Rhule said he wasn’t sure yet.
“Obviously it was a head injury, so we’ll see where they put him in the protocol,” Rhule said.
If Darnold is out long term, then the Panthers would need to bring in another quarterback. The Panthers currently have two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, including Darnold and Walker.
Walker said he’s confident in himself if he has to start next week.
“I know the guys in that locker room believe in me,” Walker said. “For me, it’s just to play and compete...I tell people a lot, I was home two years ago. And I don’t want that feeling ever again.
“When you get that opportunity you’ve got to make the best of it.”
Walker has experience starting for the Panthers. He started in one games in 2020 against the Lions after Teddy Bridgewater went down with an injury.
While Walker made some mistakes — he threw for 258 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions — he played well enough to win. The Panthers beat the Lions 20-0.
“That last year win don’t mean nothing to me at this point,” Walker said. “This is a new year and a new team as well. We’ve just got to go out there and keep playing for each other.”
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
This story was originally published October 31, 2021 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Sam Darnold knocked out of Panthers-Falcons game with concussion."
