Panthers QB Matt Corral likely to miss entire rookie year with Lisfranc injury

Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral suffered a significant Lisfranc injury in a preseason game Friday and is likely to miss his entire rookie season, coach Matt Rhule told reporters Saturday.

Corral, 23, was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but was unlikely to see much play time in his first NFL season. In July, Carolina made a trade to acquire former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns, adding him to a quarterback room that already had Corral, Sam Darnold, and P.J. Walker.

While Rhule hasn't named the team's regular season starter, Mayfield is believed to have the inside track with Darnold not far behind. Corral was fourth on the depth chart at the time of the injury.

In his first preseason game, Corral completed just one of nine pass attempts against the Washington Commanders for 11 yards. He found more of a rhythm Friday night against the New England Patriots with nine completions on 15 attempts for 58 yards before he exited with the foot injury.

Corral previously spent three seasons as the starting quarterback at Ole Miss where he threw 57 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. In 2021, he led the team to the Sugar Bowl, but was carted off in the first quarter with an ankle injury.