3 Carolina Panthers games that could be on primetime in 2021
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers vs. New York Jets
Nobody will be looking forward to this game more than Sam Darnold. The quarterback was acquired by the Carolina Panthers via trade from the New York Jets this offseason and the former No. 3 overall selection in 2018 gets an instant opportunity to show his old team they made a big mistake in letting him go.
The writing was on the wall for Darnold from a long way out. The Jets were moribund once again in 2020 and were leading candidates to win the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes for the most part before winning two meaningless games at the end of the campaign.
However, the decision to select Zach Wilson out of BYU was the NFL’s worst-kept secret, meaning Darnold was surplus to requirements.
He was let down by the organization, to put it mildly. But whether he can make a better go of things in Carolina remains to be seen.
Darnold certainly has a better supporting cast around him than he ever had at MetLife Stadium. If the protection holds out, then there will be absolutely no excuses other than his talent.
This revenge game for Darnold is going to generate a substantial amount of interest and it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world to see it given primetime billing depending on where it ends up on the schedule.