Quarterback PJ Walker is getting ready for his third NFL start in as many years – but his first with Steve Wilks at the helm.
Walker’s sudden rise from third-stringer to starter in just under two months comes amid injuries to Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. But Walker is thankful for the opportunity.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Walker said that he made it his goal to do whatever he could do with any opportunity to get better. He believes that he can play and was good enough to be at least a backup.
“Over the summer, I had a different perspective on this whole situation,” Walker said, via ProFootballTalk. “I thought about it for about a week. After that week, it is what it is. I was still going to be able to go out in the preseason and play, made the best of that. When I did get my reps in training camp, whatever opportunity, I made the best of it.
“It was a lot going through my mind because I felt like I could play. I felt like I was good enough to be the backup here. But things happen. It’s a business. At the end of the day, I never stopped my approach of going out there and handling my business.”
PJ Walker is 2-0 as a starter but hasn’t exactly blown anyone away with his play since joining the Panthers as a free agent following a wildly successful run in the short-lived XFL.
But maybe Walker has a Geno Smith-esque turnaround in him this year. We’ve seen more than a few backup quarterbacks star like diamonds over the past couple of years.
Will PJ Walker get a win?