6 shining stars from the Carolina Panthers first preseason game
By Dean Jones
P.J. Walker – Carolina Panthers QB
All eyes were on P.J. Walker during the first half as he was given another start by the Carolina Panthers. Playing against his former team clearly brought around some extra motivation from the quarterback, who can look back on his production with a real sense of pride.
Walker is fighting it out for the backup role behind Sam Darnold with Will Grier, who also looked okay in the second period despite some lackluster discipline from the offensive line.
However, if it was a choice between the two right now, Walker would get the nod by a considerable margin.
His mobility in the pocket is something Carolina benefitted from at Lucas Oil Stadium. Walker looked comfortable in the offense having got some competitive reps last season and came up with some telling throws along the way en route to the Panthers going in at the break with a 15-10 advantage.
The former XFL MVP candidate completed 10 of 21 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown. More importantly, there was an air of confidence behind Walker’s play that wasn’t exactly there when he saw the field in Week 17 against the New Orleans Saints.
A solid start from Walker. But the ongoing battle with Grier is not over yet.