Panthers' Sam Darnold: May have high-ankle sprain
Darnold likely suffered a high left ankle sprain during Friday's preseason game versus the Bills, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The diagnosis follows an initial examination of Darnold's left ankle, which rolled to the inside as he was taken to the turf by a Buffalo defender in the third quarter. He already had lost the Panthers' quarterback competition to Baker Mayfield this week, and Darnold's prospects to be the No. 2 signal-caller Week 1 now have taken a hit. Darnold will undergo an MRI on Saturday to learn the severity of the injury and whether or not there's additional damage in the region, but coach Matt Rhule told Darin Gantt of the team's official site postgame that he doesn't believe he has a fracture. This marks the second significant health concern to impact Carolina's QB room following a season-ending foot injury to rookie third-rounder Matt Corral. With Corral sidelined and Darnold potentially joining him in short order, P.J. Walker is in line to back up Baker Mayfield to begin the 2022 season.
