The season started so well for quarterback Sam Darnold and his new team, the Carolina Panthers. One of the trio of blue chip quarterbacks coming out of college four years ago, Darnold went second in the 2018 National Football League behind another quarterback, Cleveland Browns pick Baker Mayfield. The third highly ranked quarterback in that draft was Josh Allen, he was chosen by the Buffalo Bills with the seventh pick and has enjoyed the most success at the professional level.
The least success belongs to Darnold.
The USC product spent the first three years of his career in what has turned into a quarterback hell, behind center with the New York Jets. His three seasons produced dismal results as measured both by site and stats. He started 38 of the 48 games the Jets played in his three years in New York, compiled a won/loss record of 13-25, and threw nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns, 45-39. Darnold’s best season in New York was his sophomore year, 2019, when he won seven of his 13 starts and had a quarterback rating of 84.3.
With the Panthers, Darnold has established a 79.7 Quarterback Rating while splitting his first six decisions and surrendering as many interceptions as touchdowns thrown. Seven interceptions; seven touchdowns.
In addition to being led by a quarterback that used to play at MetLife Stadium, the Panthers bring one more factor back to New York today, their coach got a lot more money to be with Carolina because the Giants were in the bidding for his services. Matt Rhule, had been on the Giants staff in 2012, originally hired by Tom Coughlin, and then went on to turn around two college programs at Temple and Baylor.
The Giants were in search of a new head coach in the same year the Panthers were, and the one-time Giant had negotiating leverage with the Panthers, where he eventually signed for more than previous head coaches with comparable experience. Once thought to be headed to the Giants, instead the money and opportunity pointed Rhule south.