Panthers Fans Get Disappointing News About Sam Darnold's Health

Panthers fans shouldn't get their hopes up about Sam Darnold returning in the near future.

The Carolina quarterback suffered a significant ankle injury in the preseason, and was placed on injured reserve to start the season.

He's now eligible to play again, but don't count on it happening. Adam Schefter reported Darnold is "still not close to being" ready to go.

Schefter's source told him it's "going to be a while" before fans see Sam Darnold in pads and available for the Panthers.

With Darnold not even being close to returning, it means the Panthers are going to be continued to be locked in with Baker Mayfield.

One of the arguments many made with Darnold and Mayfield on the roster together was that a quick switch could be made if one QB struggled.

Well, the Panthers are 1-3, Mayfield isn't playing well, Darnold is hurt and third round pick Matt Corral is out for the year.

The QB situation for Matt Rhule's team is nothing short of an absolute disaster. Mayfield is completing just 54.7% of his passes and is averaging fewer than 200 passing yards a game. Through four games, he has four touchdowns to three interceptions. You're not going to win in the NFL with those stats under center, and there's no fix in sight.

The situation in Carolina is bad, and it seemingly got worse with this update. Hopefully, Sam Darnold eventually makes it back to 100%.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.