4 reasons Sam Darnold should not start again for the Panthers in 2021

Sam Darnold would further complicate the QB situation

Sam Darnold has gone from a potential reclamation project to the white elephant in the room. Whether it’s awkward at practice with Cam Newton taking the first-team reps or not remains to be seen, but we probably won’t get any firm indication of this either way until it’s time for the coaching staff to make their judgment.

This whole situation is a complete mess.

One the Carolina Panthers have to solve along with their offensive line this spring.

There is no more margin for error. That’s been and gone with failed moves that are clearly setting the organization back in its pursuit of progression.

Darnold getting starting reps only complicate matters. There is now a very good sample size over a four-year period to suggest that he cannot be counted upon to lead a team to the postseason or even a winning record.

Newton has a better track record. So perhaps giving the Auburn product a full offseason with a talented group of players could make a big difference.

The forgotten man in all this is P.J. Walker, but he doesn’t appear to be anything more than a solid backup at this juncture.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Panthers handle this complicated situation with Darnold and the quarterbacks. Considering what’s transpired so far, nothing can be ruled out entirely.