4 options for the Panthers if Sam Darnold doesn’t work out in 2021
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers stick with Sam Darnold in 2022
The Carolina Panthers picked up Sam Darnold’s fifth-year option, which was expected the moment they passed on Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields at No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
This will come with a cap hit of $18.58 million, which isn’t bad money to be paying a starting signal-caller in the grand scheme of things. However, if Darnold misses some attainable targets during his first season with the franchise, it won’t take long for murmurings of discontent to emerge from the team’s fanbase.
Carolina is an organization that is starving for consistency under center.
Cam Newton’s injury and subsequent release were followed by the likes of Kyle Allen, Will Grier, Teddy Bridgewater, and P.J. Walker manning the plate, which came with minimal success.
The Panthers only go as far as Darnold takes them in 2021. If he proves incapable of leading the organization to a winning record or even a surprise playoff berth, those in power have yet another big decision to make at the most important position on the field.
Darnold could be a work in progress if his confidence is so low it hampers him in a different environment. Carolina might end up giving him the benefit of the doubt and another shot in 2022, which would not go down too well if fans are forced to sit through yet another campaign of abject failure.