5 major Sam Darnold observations from Week 3 of Panthers training camp

Sam Darnold has the right mentality

Sam Darnold is probably eager to get out onto the field at the earliest possible opportunity. This is a fresh start he is keen to embrace, so it was no doubt disappointing to hear head coach Matt Rhule state that he won’t play in preseason Week 1 at the Indianapolis Colts.

Whether he will suit up next Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens has yet to be decided. Although Rhule declared his quarterback should play some in their final warmup fixture versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Instead of sulking, Darnold is keen to make the most of this opportunity to study different things from the sidelines. Something that should serve him well when his time finally comes in the not-too-distant future.

"“For us, we’re going to go out there pregame and have a really good workout, throw some routes, and work some different things with the starters. And obviously, be a really good help on the sidelines. I’ll be listening to the plays, be locked in mentally every single rep, and go about it that way.”"

Again, this is the right attitude to have and another strong indicator that Darnold means business in a different environment.

Production is where it counts, obviously. But the fact Darnold is displaying some impressive leadership qualities puts him in a good spot to hit the ground running.