In the aftermath of the Carolina Panthers’ blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, there have been rumblings about Sam Darnold returning under center.
I get it, Carolina has guaranteed $18.8 million to Darnold next season. However, the problem is that they already wasted their money. Giving Darnold end-season snaps doesn’t negate the fact that they invested too much money into him. Darnold is not, and will not be, the answer for the Panthers at quarterback. Can he be a solid backup for a team? Probably, but at this point playing Darnold is senseless.
Cam Newton’s return to the Panthers has been lukewarm. He hasn’t played to the caliber of his MVP season, however, his play hasn’t been the worst either. Despite the conditioning, Newton was going to struggle in terms of learning a new system on the fly while knocking off rust. If this is going to be Newton’s “swan song,” he deserves more than sharing reps with Darnold.
Now, neither Darnold nor Newton may be the Panthers’ answer at quarterback. It might be best for the Panthers to wipe the slate clean and draft a quarterback. That’s fine. If this turns out to be the case, why start a quarterback controversy between two players who might not be there next year?
The irony here is, it doesn’t matter who Carolina puts under center, the offensive line has the protection of pantyhose shears. They weren’t able to protect Darnold. They aren’t able to protect Newton. Even if the Panthers draft a quarterback, they won’t be able to protect him either. So what is the reason for inciting a controversy for two quarterbacks that might not be around in 2022 other than building more cushion for blame?
