The Carolina Panthers hitched their wagon to quarterback Sam Darnold last spring. Now, as that wagon has already sputtered out, they might not be able to unhitch it.
With over $18.9 million tied into the failing project and not many avenues open for legitimate upgrades, head coach Matt Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer may be stuck on Darnold for 2022. And that’s the sentiment from ESPN NFL insider Field Yates, who recently projected each team’s starting quarterback for the upcoming campaign.
Yates writes that although it’ll be a tough pill to swallow, Darnold getting back under center may be the ultimate option the Panthers wind up having until his contract is up.
“Darnold is imperfect — and frankly, this pick likely doesn’t inspire a ton of
confidence for Panthers fans — but Carolina’s decision to trade for Darnold and bypass the top quarterback prospects with the No. 8 last year could wind up being a knot that takes another full season to untangle.”
Carolina, of course, passed up on Justin Fields and Mac Jones—who ended up with the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots, respectively—in last year’s draft. That choice was inspired, in part, by the team investing two 2022 picks and a fifth-year option into the former New York Jets quarterback.
The Panthers’ escape routes have grown thin—as both the trade and free agent markets have left almost nothing to be desired. Their only way out, ironically enough, may be to use this year’s first-rounder on a rookie passer.
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