5 Carolina Panthers whose stock has crashed beyond repair

Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB

There was plenty of optimism surrounding Sam Darnold. The highly-touted NFL draft selection was classed as being a product of his environment over his opening three years in the league – which made those in power gambling on his potential to turn things around.

The quarterback is now facing yet another career crossroads after failing to make the most out of what appeared to be an outstanding opportunity with the Carolina Panthers following his trade from the New York Jets. And all this came after a promising start over the first three games that had many predicting Darnold could be the team’s long-term answer at the position.

Darnold’s production got worse pretty quickly when Christian McCaffrey missed time through injury. The former USC star was flustered beyond recognition with additional responsibility on his shoulders and even if he hadn’t gone to the reserve/injured list following a catastrophic display against the New England Patriots, the writing was already on the wall.

Bringing back Cam Newton was another nail in Darnold’s career coffin. But the Panthers will have their work cut out removing him from the equation this offseason given that they picked up his fifth-year option at a cost of $18.85 million.

Whether Darnold is still in Carolina or not by the time 2022 rolls around, his days as a starter are numbered. He could end up being a solid backup somewhere, but confidence is at an all-time low regarding his ability and might even be past the point of no return.