Sam Darnold has had an interesting career in the NFL up to this point.
Selected as the third overall draft pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, Darnold is now the backup to Baker Mayfield on the Carolina Panthers.
However, it looks like he may get another chance.
Steve Wilks says he would like to give Sam Darnold some snaps in a game before giving him a chance to start. Darnold will be the backup to Baker Mayfield on Sunday when the Panthers face the Ravens. Stay tuned.
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) November 16, 2022
With former XFL star P.J. Walker out with injury, Mayfield was slated to be the Panthers’ full-time starter, relegating Darnold to a backup role.
With the comments coming out about Darnold, it appears that Mayfield could be on a tighter leash.
If he makes mistakes, it could be due time for Darnold to shine.
Darnold’s NFL Career
Since being drafted in 2018, Darnold has appeared in 50 games and complied an underwhelming 17-33 record.
In those 50 games, he has thrown for 10,624 yards, completed 59.82% of his passes, threw 54 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions.
These numbers aren’t exactly promising.
So why would the Panthers turn to Darnold, when Mayfield has looked better (albeit, marginally), throughout his NFL career?
Mayfield has started 16 more games than Darnold, and although he hasn’t been the most efficient of ball-throwers, he still has more NFL experience.
On paper, it appears that Mayfield gives the Panthers the greatest opportunity to win.
In practice, it could make sense for the Panthers to give Darnold some more playing time, even to start games.
If Darnold plays terribly, the Panthers continue their run toward a top-5 draft pick.
If he plays well, the Panthers will have more confidence in him and could make him the full-time starter moving forward.
Seems like a win-win from a front-office point of view.
NEXT: Panthers HC Reveals A New Baker Mayfield Update