4 major factors that could hamper Sam Darnold’s production in 2021

Sam Darnold’s confidence

This is arguably the biggest mitigating factor behind whether Sam Darnold thrives in 2021 or falls flat on his face.

There is just no telling what a disastrous three years at Met Life Stadium has done to Darnold from a confidence standpoint. What’s important for the Carolina Panthers is building this back up gradually in the coming weeks before he looks to get one over on his former team in Week 1.

Darnold should treat his time in New York as a repressed memory. One he should not look back on under any circumstances.

Everyone makes mistakes. And Darnold is not without blame for the way things went down with the Jets.

However, only upon further examination do you realize how little they helped Darnold.

He’ll get every possible support from Carolina’s coaching staff. They fully believe in his ability to lead this team back into postseason contention, but this won’t happen unless Darnold gets his swagger we haven’t seen since his USC days back in some capacity.

The Panthers don’t need Darnold to be Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson.

If he can be efficient, make the right reads, and use his arm strength in a positive way, this can be a springboard for bigger and better things in the future.

A strong start is crucial for Darnold. Any early struggles might see the player’s lack of confidence go past the point of no return.