When Sam Darnold left the Carolina Panthers after the 2022 season, all hope seemed lost. Just two years later, ahead of his triumphant return to Bank of America Stadium in 2025, the quarterback's outlook is completely different.
The Panthers will welcome Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks to Charlotte in Week 17. He joined the NFC West club this offseason after a standout campaign with the Minnesota Vikings. They opted to move forward with J.J. McCarthy, but the signal-caller had enough solid production under his belt to get a big-money move elsewhere quickly.
Sam Darnold returns to the Carolina Panthers brimming with confidence
After galvanizing his career with the Vikings under the expert guidance of head coach Kevin O'Connell and the elite weapons at his disposal, Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks. This included a $32 million signing bonus and $52.5 million guaranteed. Not many would have predicted that after his blockbuster trade to the Panthers fell well short of expectations.
Darnold was set up to fail in Carolina. He was a desperate attempt from Matt Rhule to alleviate pressure from his shoulders. Baker Mayfield came on board after the following year, and he was sent to the fringes. Despite coming back into the lineup when Rhule was fired, displaying improvements in a run-first scheme that demanded less, the damage had already been done.
And now, he gets the chance to make the Panthers pay for their lack of support or conviction in his abilities.
The fact that this comes so late in the season means there are also potentially big ramifications attached. They are a long way from being determined, but it's worth noting all the same.
Seattle is expected to fight for a postseason berth next season. The Panthers also have loftier ambitions, so there could be some higher stakes associated with this game if everything goes according to plan for both.
This will mean a little more to Darnold. He'll be eager to get revenge on Carolina. What's important for Ejiro Evero and his defensive stars is making things as uncomfortable as possible for the USC graduate.
Because every Panthers fan knows what happens when Darnold starts seeing ghosts.