Quick Hits: Rhule Comments on Injuries, Mayfield's Day, Interest in Cam Newton + More

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule met with the media following tonight's preseason game.

On Sam Darnold's status

"It looks like an ankle, so we'll have to wait and see. I can't give any timelines or prognosis on that. We believe it's not a fracture. Hoping it's an ankle sprain. I'm waiting to find out."

On Derrick Brown's status

"Derrick Brown, oblique was tight. They said he was good to go back in but I held him."

Good/bad from starters

"I thought we got some guys open. Playing without Robbie [Anderson] and DJ [Moore] only taking a couple of snaps and without Christian [McCaffrey], I thought some of those other guys did a good job of getting open. I thought, for the most part, we protected. Just disappointed on 3rd & 1 not being able to knock the ball in the end zone on a run play. 4th & 1, short yardage, not being able to knock the ball in. But that's why you play those guys in these games. Then defensively, not being able to stop some of those 3rd and 2s, 4th & 1s. The last thing, I think tackling. We missed tackles."

Baker Mayfield's performance

"I thought Baker did a nice job of moving the football. The thing I like about Baker right now is he plays so steady. Can't say anything about his footwork or any of those things but I thought he made good checks, he recognized the game that they were playing. They brought a lot of safety pressures early, played man. He got us in the right play."

On Zane Gonzalez's status

"I don't know anything yet. I was standing there and they ran over to me and said Zane just tweaked his groin kicking. So Zane was down and we were going to go for two and then we said hey, let's take this opportunity to give Hekk [Johnny Hekker] an extra point. I know nothing beyond that right now. I'm sure that if he's out an extended amount of time that we would work out kickers but I don't know yet where that's at."

If there will be any consideration to signing Cam Newton if Darnold is out a significant amount of time

"Scott [Fitterer] and I would talk about that. Cam would have to weigh in on that. There would be a lot of things that we would have to look at. You guys know my feelings on Cam. I thought my time with him was fantastic. But it's probably too early right now to say anything about that."

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