The Panthers acquired Baker Mayfield through trade and named him the starting quarterback to start the season, but P.J. Walker replaced him after he suffered an ankle injury
in Week 5, and Walker has maintained his position despite Mayfield's ability to play. Mayfield was able to lead the Panthers to three touchdowns in the final 30 minutes of Sunday's
defeat against the Bengals after replacing Walker at halftime. The Panthers were down 35-0 at the time. Despite this improvement, Mayfield did not return to the starting
lineup against the Falcons on Thursday. Monday, interim Panthers head coach Steve Wilks confirmed that Walker will return to the starting lineup.
On Tuesday, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo stated that Wilks made the quarterback decision and that Walker's poor first half does not undermine the positive contributions
he has made since assuming the position. He also disagreed with a question about why Mayfield's performance this season fell short of expectations.
Baker is not a failure. Baker was hurt. McAdoo stated at a press conference, "Baker is a fantastic leader for us." "Before the injury, he had opportunities to perform well.
The fact that he was hurt throughout the game does not make it a failure. There is still a great deal of football to be played.Mayfield has fully recovered from his injury,
The fact that he was hurt throughout the game does not make it a failure. There is still a great deal of football to be played.Mayfield has fully recovered from his injury,
therefore the team's choice to continue with Walker is no longer predicated on his health. Should Thursday night resemble Sunday in any way, the team may reconsider its choice.