Sam Darnold leaves his mark at Carolina Panthers OTAs

Sam Darnold has made a strong impression on running back Christian McCaffrey during his first OTAs as a member of the Carolina Panthers.

As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. This is incredibly important for Sam Darnold, who was acquired by the Carolina Panthers in a trade with the New York Jets that cost the organization three draft selections after they made their feeling known about Teddy Bridgewater’s contribution in 2020.

Whether this will prove to be the right call or not remains to be seen. Darnold struggled mightily with little in the way of good coaching or talent around him at MetLife Stadium. So he’s definitely getting the benefit of the doubt in that sense.

However, that won’t be the case for much longer.

The Panthers have some favorable games early on their 2021 schedule – including Darnold’s revenge contest against the Jets in Week 1. If things don’t go according to plan over the first month, it will pile the pressure on as things get more difficult later in the campaign.

Darnold has wasted no time making his presence felt since his big move. He’s been eager to meet up with his new teammates to hit the ground running, with the former No. 3 overall selection taking the field for the first time during Carolina’s OTAs this week.

This has left a notable mark on one individual who is going to play a significant part in any success that comes the Panthers’ way in 2021.

Sam Darnold has impressed Christian McCaffrey so far.

Christian McCaffrey looks fit after a frustrating 2020 season that saw their All-Pro turn out in just three games due to injury. To say Carolina missed him in key situations would be something of an understatement and it’s hard to envisage a situation where the team loses eight games by one score had the Panthers been able to call on him.

McCaffrey has been impressed by what he’s seen from Darnold so far, highlighting his ability to lead as something that’s made his transition to a different environment incredibly smooth and something the former Stanford star is already fully behind.

"“He’s an incredible talent and incredible teammate already, so I’m super excited for him. I think he’ll fit in great. Already fits in great. He’s very laid back, but he’s definitely a leader too. And he knows when to put his foot down when he needs to and be a leader when he needs to. I think that’s something that makes all quarterbacks great.”"

This is something that is clearly transitioning to his new teammates during OTAs. According to McCaffrey, Darnold has been assertive, pays close attention to detail, and isn’t afraid to let people know when more is needed.

"“Just demanding attention to detail, demanding a sharp practice, demanding a sense of urgency. that all starts with every individual, but the quarterback touches the ball every play. So if he shows it, then everybody else will rally behind it.”"

It’s easy to get carried away with OTAs and the offseason. McCaffrey was caught saying the same about Teddy Bridgewater this time last year that didn’t exactly come with solid production on the field, so only time will tell as to whether Darnold can do any better with a supreme level of talent around him.

The Panthers have bet big on Darnold making a better go of things now he’s been freed from the toxic atmosphere that he was subjected to in New York under Adam Gase. What’s important for the USC product is putting all that behind him and using the big chip now on his shoulder positively to prove beyond all doubt he is a starting-caliber NFL quarterback.

He appears to have won McCaffrey over already, which is a significant step considering how influential the back is across the organization. What comes next will be equally as important, but Darnold has gotten off to a positive start.