3 winners and 3 losers from Carolina Panthers’ loss at the Bucs in Week 18
By Jason Huber
Sam Darnold – Carolina Panthers QB
When Cam Newton returned to town over a month ago, many thought Sam Darnold had played his last snap in a Carolina Panthers uniform despite one year remaining on his contract.
Obviously, that’s not how things unfolded and Darnold got three more starts to prove his worth before the next campaign. Ultimately, the quarterback did nothing to provide any additional confidence.
Darnold played his best game Sunday of his past three starts, completing 29-of-42 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. But he still struggled when it mattered, making it awfully tough to say he deserves another shot next year.
The USC product threw an interception in the fourth quarter and also lost a fumble during the game. His offensive line wasn’t great, which hurt him, but he’s just not a good quarterback.
The one positive was a beautiful touchdown ball he threw to Robby Anderson in the fourth quarter. However, with $18.85 million still owed to him next season, Darnold blew every chance he got on why he deserves it.
If the Panthers do indeed decide to move on, the trade for Darnold will go down as one of the worst in franchise history.