Carolina Panthers: PJ Walker makes big splashes in preseason debut

Carolina Panthers quarterback PJ Walker made some pretty big splashes in the team’s preseason game over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Carolina Panthers made a big move in the 2021 offseason to acquire former New York Jets draft bust Sam Darnold, who has a chance to erase that dreaded bust label and rebound in a new NFL city. He’s going to have some very interesting competition behind him in a player that virtually nobody is talking about thanks to the debuts of some really exciting rookies around the league.

That player is the artist formerly known as Phillip Walker. Coming out of Temple in 2017, the Indianapolis Colts signed PJ Walker as an undrafted free agent and he stuck with the team as primarily a practice squad player for three offseasons. Finally in 2019, Walker got the chance to show what he can do.

He was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL in 2019, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were actually blocked from signing him right around that time.

He mostly dominated the pandemic-shortened XFL season, leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns. After his outstanding work in the XFL, NFL teams were understandably interested again and it just so happened that Walker had a unique connection to one team in particular.

That team was the Carolina Panthers with head coach Matt Rhule, who was obviously familiar with Walker from their time at Temple.

He signed a two-year contract with the Panthers, and wound up making his NFL starting debut in the 2020 season with Teddy Bridgewater out injured.

Although what PJ Walker showed in his first year with the Carolina Panthers didn’t keep them out of the quarterback market, he certainly has given them some things to think about with the big splashes he made in the team’s first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, his former team.

Although Walker finished 10-of-21 passing, he had a couple of plays where he showed some really impressive ability to get out of the pocket and make plays.

What is perhaps the most notable from Walker’s preseason debut? The velocity on his throws.

Even when he was not throwing with a platform, PJ Walker but a lot of zip behind the ball and showed off his timing and anticipation.

It’s not out of the question to think Walker could give the Carolina Panthers enough to think about during preseason play that the leash on Sam Darnold would be shortened a little bit. Darnold certainly hasn’t proven enough as an NFL player to be given a bulletproof vest for an entire 17-game season.

The Carolina Panthers undoubtedly expect to make strides in the 2021 season and while they invested plenty in Sam Darnold (as well as passing on NFL Draft prospects in 2021), PJ Walker will be an interesting option off the bench if Darnold struggles early on.