Philip "PJ" Walker has burst onto the NFL scene since taking over as starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers from Baker Mayfield earlier this season.
It's been a long and arduous road for the former Temple QB, where he played college football for four seasons.
He is the Owls' all-time leader in wins by a starting QB, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, total yards and total touchdowns.
He even helped Temple to their first conference title in 49 years (2016), but that wasn't enough for NFL teams, who chose not to draft him.
Instead, he joined the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. He then spent the next three years on the Colts practice squad before being released in 2019.
He was later drafted by the newly formed XFL in 2020, playing for the Houston Roughnecks before the league was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was the league leader in both passing touchdowns and yards at the time.
That helped Walker earn a two-year contract with the Panthers, where he reunited with former Temple coach Matt Rhule.
After starting one game in both 2020 and 2021, Walker''s big break came in 2022 when Baker Mayfield was ruled out after suffering an injury in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Walker's fortune
During his time with the Colts, Walker's biggest pay check was $122,400 in 2017.
However, after signing a two-year deal with the Panthers in 2020, Walker earned $814,119 and $805,000 in 2020 and 2021.
He re-signed with the Panthers before the start of the 2022 season, earning a slight raise of $895,000. This means that Walker has earned close to $2.8 million during his playing career.
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