Carolina Panthers quarterback PJ Walker made headlines on Monday, October 31, when head coach Steve Wilks confirmed that the 27-year-old will be continuing as the starter against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season. This also meant that Baker Mayfield, the starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers was relegated to the bench.

Walker started in the Carolina Panthers Week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons when he rallied his team to a closely contested 34-37 loss. He found DJ Moore for a 62-yard touchdown with only seconds remaining on the clock for the game to end. However, a penalty incurred for the unsportsmanlike conduct of Moore and a 32-yard field goal miss by kicker Eddy Pineiro meant the game went into overtime and the loss.

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Who is PJ Walker?

Phillip Walker, popularly known as PJ, is an American quarterback who plays for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL. He spent his college football career with Temple, before signing for the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He joined the Carolina Panthers on March 25, 2020, when he signed a two-year contract with the outfit.

Walker was born on February 26, 1995, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States to Tamicha Drake and Phillip Walker Sr. He enrolled at Elizabeth High School, before attending Temple University, where he played college football under former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule.

During his high school career, Walker registered 18 touchdowns and threw for a total of 2,168 yards in his junior year. He also had a 63.5% pass completion rate in that year. His consistent performance in high school football earned him an athletic scholarship for attending Temple University, where he represented the Owls between 2013-16.

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The quarterback signed for NFL outfit Indianapolis Colts on May 3, 2017, as an undrafted free agent. However, the Colts waived him in September, when Walker signed for their practice squad. He left the Colts on August 31, 2019, before being drafted into the XFL in 2020.

Walker later joined the NFL outfit Carolina Panthers on March 25, 2020, when he signed a two-year contract amounting to $1.5 million.