Darnold on injured reserve list

The Carolina Panthers have placed quarterback Sam Darnold on the injured reserve list due to a shoulder injury, which is expected to sideline him for at least four weeks.

An MRI this week revealed that Darnold had an incomplete fracture of the right (throwing) shoulder.

The injury is believed to have occurred in Sunday’s 24-6 loss to the New England Patriots. There is a play in which Darnold was hit by linebacker Kyle Van Noy early in the second quarter that would be the cause of the injury.

PJ Walker, who played for Panthers head coach Matt Rhule at Temple and starred in the XFL before signing with Carolina last year, will get his second NFL start Sunday when the Panthers (4-5) play the Arizona Cardinals (8-1).

He won his first start last year 20-0 against the Detroit Lions.

The Panthers bolstered the quarterback position Thursday, bringing back Cam Newton, who led the team to the Super Bowl in 2015, on a one-year contract.

The deal is worth up to $10 million for the remainder of the season, including $4.5 million guaranteed and a $1.5 million roster bonus.

The Panthers, who selected Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, released him after the 2019 season after struggling for several years with shoulder and foot injuries. They began a new regime with Rhule at that time.

Newton, the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2015, started 15 games for the New England Patriots in 2020 before being released in training camp this year after the organization gambled on rookie Mac Jones as the starter.

Rhule said the plan is for recently acquired Matt Barkley to serve as Walker’s backup on Sunday. Barkley was dismissed from the Tennessee Titans practice squad on Tuesday.