3 pros and cons to the Carolina Panthers extending Sam Darnold in 2023

Sam Darnold provides continuity/savings

While it would be nice to make another blockbuster trade this offseason and bring in a highly touted quarterback, there is something to be said about continuity and building organically. Something that the Carolina Panthers haven’t had since Cam Newton’s release in 2020.

Giving the team some time to gel under Frank Reich’s new coaching staff with existing players will smooth along that transition somewhat. It could also keep the team from taking massive steps backward if something goes wrong with the front office’s hiring decisions.

Darnold is not going to win the Panthers a Super Bowl. However, keeping the bevy of draft picks gathered after trading Christian McCaffrey rather than giving them away for another veteran quarterback is simply the better choice at this juncture.

Those picks are better used on young players that the team can build around in the next few years as they slowly climb back into contention. Carolina isn’t going to compete for a while anyway and wasting them on an aging quarterback just doesn’t make sense.

Just look at the relative step back that D.J. Moore took in 2022 as proof of what can happen to a young player when too many changes take place. The other side of that coin is the emergence of Terrace Marhsall Jr. once the young wideout was given a chance with Sam Darnold at quarterback.

These are the things that can be ruined by a changing of the guard, stunting the growth and development of young players. Which is something that can’t be fixed a lot of the time.

If nothing else, letting the young members of this team learn how to play together without the worry of trying to figure out yet another new captain will only be a good thing in the long run.