4 debatable excuses for Sam Darnold’s poor production in 2021

Sam Darnold had one reliable pass-catcher

Another important factor that did not work in Sam Darnold’s favor was a clear lack of reliable pass-catchers. This was a major shock considering how high hopes were for the trio of D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson, and Terrace Marshall Jr., but only one emerged from the 2021 season with any credit and this impacted the signal-caller enormously.

Moore was phenomenal, going over 1,000 yards once again and further staking his claim as one of the NFL’s most underrated wideouts. However, the same cannot be said of Anderson, who couldn’t reignite the chemistry with Darnold from their time together on the New York Jets – something that brought frustration that boiled over on the sidelines.

As for Marshall, he was anonymous and led many to believe whether the Carolina Panthers made the right call taking the LSU product in the second round. Couple this with Christian McCaffrey’s injury problems and an unstable offensive line, it would have been difficult for any quarterback to make.

Darnold is not without blame.

Far from it, actually.

He is clearly a player that needs every possible tool around him to succeed. And even that might not be enough with footwork and decision-making coming in for some severe criticism once again.

Morale would be at an all-time low within the team’s fanbase if the Panthers went with Darnold in 2022. But in all honesty, they might not have a choice with minimal salary-cap space and one draft pick in the top-100.