Darnold sustains ‘significant’ injury

Panthers coach Matt Rhule said backup quarterback Sam Darnold and kicker Zane Gonzalez both suffered “significant” injuries in the 21-0 win over the Bills on Friday night. Darnold has a high ankle sprain, which is normally a four-to-six week injury. But Rhule said doctors haven’t determined how much time he’ll miss, adding that putting him on short-term injured reserve is a possibility. The Panthers will enter the season with Baker Mayfield as their starter and P.J. Walker as his backup. “We’re not sure of the exact length of that injury,” Rhule said Saturday on a videoconference call. “We sent those images to a specialist to gauge it, but it does look like a significant injury that could take some time.” Gonzalez’s injury appears even worse, and there is a possibility it could be season-ending. He will see a specialist to determine the degree of injury. Rhule wouldn’t specify what Gonzalez did to his groin while practicing kicks into the net on the sideline. But he said the Panthers will be looking to sign a kicker before the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Browns.