5 Carolina Panthers players who likely played their final game with the team

P.J. Walker – Carolina Panthers QB

Considering how bleak things looked for P.J. Walker last spring, the fact he was still on the roster by the season’s end represents a huge achievement. The Carolina Panthers dealt with some significant injuries at the quarterback position, which left the coaching staff with no option other than to include the one-time Temple star as part of their short-term plans.

Walker was seen as an afterthought in training camp thanks to the arrivals of Matt Corral and Baker Mayfield. This left his chances of making the team remote at best before Sam Darnold and the third-round pick both sustained problems in the preseason.

There was further good news for Walker when Mayfield’s lack of production coupled with a high ankle sprain sent him to the sidelines. His performance levels were decent, especially in Week 8 when a superb display under center almost came with an unlikely victory at the Atlanta Falcons.

Again, the injury curse struck Walker at just the wrong time. This allowed Darnold another opportunity to shine and left the former XFL MVP candidate on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

Now that Matt Rhule and his ex-college coaches are no longer around, the chances of Walker getting another extension in Carolina are slim. The team needs to find a stable, long-term plan for football’s most important position, but they most likely won’t include the veteran after three seasons with the organization.