By Steve Reed

AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE  — P.J. Walker will make his second straight start at quarterback for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Interim head coach Steve Wilks said Jacob Eason will serve as the backup.

This is the first time in his NFL career that Walker has started consecutive games.

“I have confidence in P.J.,” Wilks said.

The news comes following Sam Darnold’s return to practice on Wednesday after being designated to return from injured reserve.

Wilks indicated that he wants to give Darnold — who missed the first six games after suffering a high ankle sprain in the preseason — more time to recover. The Panthers have 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster.

“I don’t see Sam being in a position to where he is going to progress” this week, Wilks said of Darnold’s potential return. “I don’t feel comfortable as a head coach trying to press that. When he can communicate to me that he’s ready, we will move forward.”

Darnold took reps with the scout team on Wednesday.

Darnold was 4-7 as the team’s starting quarterback last year, where he completed 59.8% of his passes for 2,527 yards and had nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions.

Baker Mayfield, who started the team’s first five games, was held out of practice again as he attempts to recover from an ankle sprain he sustained in a Week 5 loss to San Francisco. He’s being evaluated on a week-to-week basis but will not play Sunday.

Wilks said the starting quarterback moving forward will be determined on a week-by-week basis.

The big question heading into Sunday becomes if the Panthers will allow Walker to throw the ball downfield.

Walker struggled last week, completing just 10 of 16 passes for 60 yards in a 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams before leaving in the fourth quarter with a neck injury.

His throws were almost exclusively screen passes as the Panthers kept things conservative wanting to avoid turnovers.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Walker’s average intended air yards was 0.1 yards — which means that the average depth of his throws was barely past the line of scrimmage.

That strategy didn’t work so well as the Panthers scored just three points on offense with their only touchdown coming on an interception return by cornerback Donte Jackson.

Wilks was non-committal about whether the Panthers will try to throw the ball downfield more against the Buccaneers.

“I anticipate us doing whatever we can to win the football game,” Wilks said. “If that is pushing the ball down the field or running the ball a certain amount of times, we will see exactly how the game flows.”

Walker said his goal is to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers.

But he added that he hasn’t spoken to coaches about throwing downfield more.

“With the run game working the way it was last week if we can get the ball downfield it will soften up the secondary and we will be good to go and be able to run the ball even more,” Walker said.

“It’s going to come,” he added.

Carolina (1-5) has the NFL’s 32nd-ranked offense and has lost 12 of its past 13 games.

NOTES: The Panthers also designated defensive tackle Bravvion Roy to return from injured reserve. … Wilks has yet to announce a starting wide receiver opposite D.J. Moore after the team traded Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. Possibilities including Terrace Marshall, Laviska Shenault and Shi Smith. … Cornerbacks Donte Jackson (ankle) and C.J. Henderson (concussion) were held out of practice but Wilks anticipates both playing Sunday. … Cornerback Jaycee Horn (ribs) returned to practice on a limited basis after missing last week’s game.

AP source: Panthers would trade McCaffrey for right price

The Carolina Panthers are considering trading 2019 All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey if they get something significant in return, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because no trade is imminent.

It’s unclear how many other NFL teams have inquired about McCaffrey, who has been productive this season after missing 23 games over the previous two seasons with various injuries.

The Panthers are 1-5 this season and have struggled to find stability at the quarterback position.

Earlier this week the Panthers traded Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals for two late-round draft picks after he was involved in a sideline argument with an assistant coach and sent to the locker room.

The Panthers are not expected to have a fire sale, despite having lost 12 of their past 13 games.

McCaffrey is one of the few bright spots on the league’s 32nd-ranked offense.

He has 670 yards from scrimmage, which ranks fourth in the NFL behind only Saquon Barkley, Tyreek Hill and Nick Chubb. McCaffrey and Chubb are the only players in the league with five games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.

McCaffrey said Wednesday that he’s trying to stay focused on Sunday’s game even as trade rumors swirl around the 2017 first-round draft pick.

“That’s out of my control,” McCaffrey said. “I’m trying to control everything I can control. Right now I’m a Carolina Panther and giving it all to this place.”

When asked if he would like to be kept in the loop regarding trade talks, McCaffrey responded, “if they keep me in the loop, great. If not, it doesn’t matter. To me I am focused on playing against the Bucs this weekend and doing everything I can to prepare for them.”

McCaffrey did not practice Wednesday as that is his normal rest day.

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