The Carolina Panthers should avoid the temptation of benching quarterback Cam Newton in favor of Sam Darnold at any stage over the final three games of the season.
Cam Newton injected life into the Carolina Panthers when all hope seemed lost. Even though this has come with just one victory since his arrival, the former NFL MVP deserves credit for sucking it up and putting his pride on the line by making a return to a franchise that discarded him in bizarre fashion once Matt Rhule was appointed head coach.
Newton‘s production wouldn’t be classed as stellar. But what did people expect from someone who hadn’t played a down before Week 10 and hasn’t had any real time to familiarize himself with the scheme.
Couple this with a torrid offensive line and it’s not hard to see where Newton’s problems lie. Although it does appear as if the Auburn product is far from the force of old.
Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be the last time Newton ever turns out for the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. But head coach Matt Rhule could throw a spanner in the works in the form of Sam Darnold.
The offseason acquisition from the New York Jets is now cleared for contact after missing multiple weeks. Darnold inconsistencies were there for all to see before getting injured against the New England Patriots, but there’s just no telling what the reaction would be if he was re-introduced at the expense of Newton.
Rhule stated Newton would start. But that Darnold would also see some time on the field as he continues to move forward with a two-quarterback system that’s brought little-to-no success so far.
With this in mind, here are three reasons why making this move could be a massive mistake.