Panthers' Sam Darnold: Cleared to practice
The Panthers designated Darnold (shoulder) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Darnold is working his way back from a partial non-displaced fracture of his right scapula that resulted in him being placed on IR on Nov. 12. Though initial reports suggested that Darnold wouldn't play again in 2021 even though his injury wasn't considered season-ending, Carolina may be more inclined to add the 2018 first-round pick back on the roster at some point, given that neither Cam Newton nor P.J. Walker has performed at high level over the team's past four games. Carolina will have a 21-day window to evaluate Darnold in practice, and he'll be eligible for activation at any point during that stretch. As Darin Gantt of the team's official site notes, head coach Matt Rhule has already named Newton the starter for Sunday's game against Buffalo, but Walker is also expected to be involved in the game plan.
