NFL: Predicting the week one starting quarterback for all 32 teams
By Kyle Edmond
Carolina Panthers: Sam Darnold
This will be a make-or-break season for a lot of people within the Carolina Panthers organization. Matt Rhule will need to prove he is the coach to turn this team around and Sam Darnold will need to prove he is still the best option to quarterback this franchise.
Another member of the 2018 NFL Draft class, Darnold has one more year to prove that he can be a successful quarterback at the NFL level. The New York Jets took him third overall and cut ties just three seasons into his NFL career. He was only able to start 11 games during the 2021 season, so it’s hard to tell if he can do it in Carolina just yet.
On top of that, the Panthers will have a new offensive coordinator this upcoming season. This move will result in Darnold’s fourth offensive coordinator in five NFL seasons. It’s hard to find success under those circumstances. The other knock against Darnold is his ability to stay healthy. He’s yet to play more than 13 games in a season.
Darnold will get one more shot, but it will be a short leash. If it doesn’t work out, Carolina can do a clean cut and wipe the slate clean going into the 2023 season. With that being said, they could be a candidate to take a mid-round quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft to add some competition.