Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield said he will undergo an MRI on Monday after injuring his left ankle in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Mayfield attended his postgame press conference with a walking boot on his lower left leg. The struggling former number one overall pick sustained the injury late in the first half of Carolina’s 37-15 defeat, but remained in the game until being replaced for the Panthers' final possession with the outcome no longer in doubt.
"Somebody landed on the ankle," Mayfield told reporters. "It didn’t feel too good.
"[It’s] a little painful right now. I’m not sure exactly what it is. We’ll examine that [Monday] and find out."
The injury added to another ineffective performance from Mayfield, who entered the game 31st out of 32 qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage (54.7) and 30th in passer rating (75.0). The offseason addition finished the day 20 of 36 for 215 yards with no touchdowns and an interception that the 49ers’ Emmanuel Moseley returned 41 yards for a touchdown.
"I’m confident with where I’m at," Mayfield said when asked about his job security. "I haven’t played well enough, obviously. There’s a lot of ball left.
"I don’t live in the past, I live in the moment. Figure it out and move forward."
Sunday’s loss dropped the Panthers to 1-4 and was the team’s 11th in its last 12 games under head coach Matt Ruhle, whose future has also come under speculation.
"I would love to be in a better position record-wise, but you keep pushing forward," Mayfield said. "It’s not time to put your head down and give up."
With 2021 starter Sam Darnold still on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, P.J. Walker would presumably start at quarterback should Mayfield be forced to miss next week’s game against the Rams in Los Angeles.
Darnold, selected two spots behind Mayfield in the 2018 draft, started 11 games for the Panthers in 2021 but was displaced from the starting quarterback’s role following the team’s acquisition of Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns in July.
Mayfield became expendable to the Browns when Cleveland traded for the currently suspended Deshaun Watson earlier in the offseason and signed the former Houston Texan to a five-year, $230million extension.