Sam Darnold has been diagnosed with a broken scapula

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold has been diagnosed with a broken scapula following an MRI this morning. The scapula is more commonly known as your shoulder blade. Darnold reported shoulder soreness on Monday, causing the team to ask for an MRI. The injury is in his right, or throwing, shoulder and is in the same shoulder that was reportedly sore last week following the win against the Atlanta Falcons. It is the current belief of the Panthers that he broke the bone during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots.

PJ Walker is expected to start for the Panthers against the Arizona Cardinals this week. Darnold will miss several weeks, at least, though the team has not made an official decision about whether or not he will go on injured reserve.

The nature of this injury—a broken bone in his throwing shoulder—gives the Panthers an easy excuse to both sideline Darnold for now and bring him back to the field later. It is quite possible that Darnold’s awful performance in the second half against the Patriots was influenced by having broken his scapula in the second quarter.