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

Sam Darnold is a sideways option

The first con for keeping Sam Darnold around just so happens to be the exact inverse of the first pro.

A fanbase can only endure so much and the Carolina Panthers have had their fair share of hard times since running to the Super Bowl in 2015 and it’s beginning to show. The distinct lack of blue in the home stands is evidence enough.

The last thing any team wants is to wallow in mediocrity for so long that even the most dedicated fans begin to lose hope. The Panthers are dangerously close to this despite Frank Reich’s arrival.

So that begs the question, can they afford another losing season?

Darnold is not a superstar. The quarterback will not sell tickets and fill seats at this point in his career even if the Panthers start winning games. That ship sailed after the 2021 season and almost nothing will bring back that hype.

So from a simple economic standpoint, the Panthers are faced with the tough decision of what they value most. Do they risk alienating the fanbase even further by standing pat with the current roster or do they take that same risk but increase the hype by going out for someone else?

Either way, all signs point toward the Panthers being mediocre at best next season. It just depends on how Carolina wants to go about that.