Whether the Carolina Panthers will have their starting quarterback under center in Week 9 against the New England Patriots will, seemingly, just about come down to the wire.
On Friday, head coach Matt Rhule still could not provide a firm decision on Sunday’s status for quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold, who remains in the concussion protocol after sustaining a head injury in Week 8’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, must be cleared by an independent neurologist in order to suit up.
Rhule also confirmed that the right shoulder issue Darnold is currently dealing with has made his status even cloudier. When asked if the throwing arm is as much of a concern as the concussion, Rhule said plainly, “Yes.”
Here’s the final injury report for the team heading into the weekend:
| Injury | Wed. | Thurs. | Fri. | Game status | |
| CB C.J. Henderson | Shoulder | Full | Full | Full | – |
| LB Shaq Thompson | Foot | Limited | Full | Full | – |
| WR Terrace Marshall Jr. | Concussion | Full | – | – | – |
| T Cameron Erving | Knee | Full | Full | Full | – |
| C Matt Paradis | Knee | Full | Full | Full | – |
| CB Stephon Gilmore | Quad | Full | Full | Full | – |
| QB Sam Darnold | Concussion/Right shoulder | Limited | Limited | Limited | Questionable |
| LB Jermaine Carter Jr. | Ankle | Full | Full | Full | – |
| CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver III | Toe | Limited | DNP | DNP | Questionable |
| G Pat Elflein | Hamstring | – | Full | Full | Questionable |
As for running back Christian McCaffrey, who is not listed since he’s yet to be moved to the 53-man roster, Rhule stated he wouldn’t be put into a “40 to 50-play” situation. McCaffrey has missed 18 of the team’s last 24 games dating back to last season.
