Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB
It all started so well for Sam Darnold following his trade to the Carolina Panthers. The quarterback made a solid impression in training camp and certainly looked like a product of his environment on the New York Jets over the first three games of the campaign.
However, the loss of Christian McCaffrey meant the Panthers needed more from Darnold. Something that he was simply unable to deliver.
The former first-round pick’s astonishing regression into the player we saw plenty of at MetLife Stadium was nothing short of a disaster. Simply put, it was the last thing Carolina needed after deciding to give up on Teddy Bridgewater after just one season in favor of the USC product.
Darnold’s final two games under center were the final straw. His shoulder injury saw the Panthers place him on the reserve/injured list and his chances of playing time moving forward appear bleak after the franchise brought Cam Newton back into the fold.
Giving up three draft picks for Darnold was bad enough. But triggering his fifth-year option that comes with a guaranteed $18.85 million in 2022 was even worse.
The Panthers now have a big problem on their hands with Darnold. If they decide to keep Newton around, he’ll either be a really expensive backup or Carolina will have to eat plenty of his salary in pursuit of somehow finding a trade partner.
Either way, it would be a surprise to see Darnold under center in Carolina again.