Sam Darnold expected to start for Carolina Panthers vs Patriots

The Carolina Panthers expect Sam Darnold to start at quarterback versus the Patriots, the team announced Sunday morning.

Darnold suffered a concussion and a shoulder injury when he was hit by Falcons linebacker Royesade Oluokun in the fourth quarter of the Panthers’ 19-13 win. He did not return to the game.

Darnold cleared concussion protocol on Saturday, but his right throwing shoulder was also a concern. Darnold went through warmups prior to the game and apparently came out fine.

Had Darnold not started, he would have backed up P.J. Walker.

Panthers inactives vs. Patriots

WR Shi Smith

CB CJ Henderson

CB Stantely Thomas-Oliver

RB Royce Freeman

LB Kamal Martin

OG Pat Elflein

DT Phil Hoskins

This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 11:37 AM.

Jonathan M. Alexander

The Charlotte Observer

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Jonathan M. Alexander is a native of Charlotte. He began covering the Carolina Panthers for the Observer in July 2020 after working at the N&O for seven years, where he covered a variety of beats, including UNC basketball and football, Duke basketball, recruiting, K-12 schools, public safety and town government. Support my work with a digital subscription