Panthers' Sam Darnold: Looks in line for start
Darnold (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots, is expected to start, barring any setbacks in pregame warmups, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Darnold cleared the NFL's five-step concussion protocol Saturday, but the Panthers still want to ensure the right shoulder injury he picked up in the Week 8 win over the Falcons isn't hindering him in warmups before clearing him to start. Per David Newton of ESPN.com, the Panthers still have some concern about Darnold's ability to throw the deep ball, so even if he draws the start, it's possible that the coaching staff could scale back some of his pass catchers' downfield routes. P.J. Walker took most of the reps with the first-team offense this week and would be ready to start if Darnold experiences any setbacks, but for now, the Panthers seem prepared for the latter to play the whole game. A final word on Darnold's status should come when the Panthers release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
