Which Quarterback Will Carolina Panthers Face in Week 7?

The Carolina Panthers are fresh off their bye week, beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 on the road. The win over the Eagles moved them to 3-2 on the year, giving them back-to-back wins over NFC opponents.

As the Panthers sit here going into Week 7, they will face off against a divisional foe in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers are currently 1-0 against the division, beating the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 for their first win of the season. With the Panthers leading the division, getting those early wins against the division is key. 

Tampa Bay enters this game at 1-5, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime. They earned their first win in Week 5 beating the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. 

But one big question looms for the Buccaneers. Who will start at quarterback on Sunday afternoon in Carolina.

Baker Mayfield has been out for weeks now with his injury but he did return to practice this week. While Mayfield has been out, rookie Jalon Daniels took over and lost to the Green Bay Packers before earning his first win of the year beating Dallas. Daniels has had his struggles but recently has looked better with a lot of reps under his belt now.

So who starts? Head coach Todd Bowles won't tip his hand but he did say that the Buccaneers need to prep as if Daniels is playing. Sounds easy, right? He also added that both Daniels and Mayfield will be in prep meetings all week long just in case.

Bowles went on further to say that if Mayfield gets the chance to play, he will play as long as he's healthy. That's just how tough he has been throughout the course of his career. 

As for the Panthers, it sounds tricky having to prepare for two quarterbacks but there's enough tape now on both that it shouldn't be too difficult. Plus, the Panthers have seen Mayfield multiple times in the past so they have an understanding of what he brings to the table.

Daniels is a different quarterback and while he's played in three games, the tape is still limited on him. It would be a good test for this Panthers' defense either way as they look to continue to get better and better. 

The Panthers and Buccaneers will kickoff at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.