It doesn’t appear as though longtime NFL quarterback P.J. Walker will see the field for the Calgary Stampeders in their regular season finale on Saturday.
“We can move on from that question because I talked to P.J. and he’s doing a good job (in practice) but at this point, no (he will not play this week),” head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson told the media on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old native of Elizabeth, N.J. signed with the team on Oct. 8 following a seven-year run in the NFL that included stints with the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Seattle Seahawks. In total, he went 4-3 as a starter, throwing for 2,135 yards, six touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
Walker is currently on the Calgary’s practice roster and would have to sign a new contract to be elevated to the active roster. There has been speculation that Walker may not be willing to do so for fear of losing out on potential NFL opportunities for the rest of this season. Practice roster players become free agents immediately following the conclusion of the season, which means Walker could pursue the NFL as early as Sunday.
Matthew Shiltz didn’t practice on Tuesday due to a neck injury, though Dickenson wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him playing this week. It also appears possible that Logan Bonner, who threw five interceptions in his lone start earlier this year, and Jake Maier could see playing time as well.
“That room, everybody wants to play, everybody will get balls,” said Dickenson. “We’ll see what happens when we get closer to the game.”
The Stampeders (4-12-1) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-7-1) on Saturday, Oct. 26 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.