Panthers Insider Reveals Chances of Matt Corral Starting During 2022 Season

The Carolina Panthers decided to give quarterback Sam Darnold some competition this offseason by drafting former Ole Miss QB Matt Corral 94th overall at the 2022 NFL Draft. Needless to say, Panthers fans are curious about the possibility of the rookie gunslinger starting a game this fall.

Fortunately, team insider David Newton has some news that the fanbase will love to hear. He reported, via ESPN, that there's a 0% chance that Corral remains on the bench for the entire season. In fact, Newton went as far as saying the rookie could start as soon as Week 6.

Panthers Roster Rumors

The key reason why Panthers fans should expect Corral to debut sometime in 2022 is due to Darnold's short leash. The fifth-year signal-caller simply hasn't proven that he can succeed in the NFL and won't have much leeway after last year's disappointing performance.

Darnold was the "best" of Carolina's three starting QBs last season, which isn't saying much. The former USC product played 12 games (11 starts), completing just 59.9% of his passing attempts for 2,527 yards and nine touchdowns to 13 interceptions. That type of stat line won't cut it this year.

Even though Corral hasn't played an NFL snap yet, it's hard to imagine him being that much worse than Darnold. The 23-year-old finished seventh in 2021 Heisman Trophy voting after racking up 3,349 yards, 20 TDs and five INTs in 13 games with the Rebels.

There have been rumors of the Panthers potentially trading for Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield, which would likely prevent Corral from debuting this year. If that doesn't happen, though, expect to see Corral take the field if Darnold falters early on in the 2022 NFL season.

Oddsmakers seem to think that there's a legitimate possibility of Corral debuting in the upcoming season, too. FanDuel Sportsbook is giving the Panthers QB +2000 odds (No. 13) to be named the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.