Opinion: Thanks to fresh start with Panthers and his own resolve, Sam Darnold has shot at vindication
Sam Darnold still draws strength from the broken foot that prematurely ended a promising junior season at San Clemente High School.
The Southern California native had always thrived in athletics, and for the first time, he felt helpless both physically and mentally.
“I’m out for the season after just two games. That was the first time any adversity had hit me, and that was tough on me,” Darnold recalled eight years later. “If it weren’t for my parents having my back, my sister to talk to, and the great friends I had to be able to lift me up when I was down, I wouldn’t have been able to bounce back in the way that I did.”
The return from injury featured a record-setting senior season and the quarterback’s landing of scholarship offers from some of the top schools in the nation.
“To be down and come back from that injury and have a really good senior year in high school, that allowed me to understand, no matter what happens in the past, you can always control the present and the future with the hard work that you put in after that negative thing that happens,” Darnold told Paste BN Sports by phone. “That’s always been in the back of my mind whenever I’m going through things that are negative. Getting in the mindset of no matter what happens, that’s in the past. What are you going to do to affect the present and the future?”
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Now three games into his fourth NFL season, and his first as starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers, Darnold has encountered plenty of additional adversity.
From dealing with the weight of expectations as the third pick of the 2018 draft, selected by the long-suffering New York Jets, to the lumps he took while surrounded by a subpar supporting cast and inadequate coaching along with being written off as a bust, Darnold has experienced nearly every negative pro football has to offer.
But thanks to the lessons ascertained when he broke his foot in high school, Darnold maintained a sense of self-belief and optimism that eventually, he would again bounce back.
Now three games into a fresh start in Carolina, Darnold – whom the Jets traded in the spring just before drafting Zach Wilson second overall – appears to be doing just that.
He looks like a man remade, helping the Panthers to a 3-0 start – their best opening to a season since 2015 – while putting up career numbers in nearly every major statistical category.
Darnold’s apparent rebound serves as a testament both of his own resiliency and the quality of guidance he now is receiving in Carolina. His redemption story also could serve as another classic example of how poorly run organizations botch the drafting and development of talented young passers.
Through three weeks, Darnold's 888 passing yards rank ninth in the NFL. He has three passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns and just one interception. Those familiar with his game say he’s playing with a newfound confidence while displaying the strong arm and athleticism that made him a coveted prospect coming out of high school and college. He also has displayed improved decision-making and accuracy while directing a Carolina attack that ranks 10th in the NFL in total offense. And most importantly, the Panthers are winning.
“I think it’s just a lot of the hard work we’ve put in in the offseason, getting together with the guys and getting with (offensive coordinator) Joe (Brady) and trying to learn the offense as soon as possible, right when I signed. ... That was a big part of it, and my teammates and all the hard work we’ve put in during the offseason is coming to fruition. It’s a one-week-at-a-time business here, and we have to keep that mindset and keep this thing going.”
Darnold attributes his and Carolina’s strong start to hard work. But his improved play also stems from better surroundings.
This time last year, and in each of the two previous seasons, he was asked to carry a depleted roster while executing game plans that often either didn’t suit his strengths or asked too much of a player of his limited experience. Darnold in turn struggled while ranking in the bottom third of the league’s passing statistical categories. In Darnold’s last two seasons under since-fired coach Adam Gase, the Jets ranked last in the league in total offense.
“He never had a chance,” an NFL talent evaluator, speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid commenting publicly on a player not on his own team, told Paste BN Sports. “He is a talented player that’s going to thrive in a system that fits him. You have to surround him with playmakers, not put it on his shoulders to win it all.”
Since acquiring Darnold for a sixth-round pick in 2021 and second- and fourth-rounders in 2022, the Panthers have paired him with Joe Brady, who modified the offense to accentuate Darnold's strengths while charging him with putting the ball in the hands of Carolina's playmakers.
“Joe has been great, just his ability to communicate has been the biggest key to learning an offense and learning each other,” Darnold said. “Growing, the relationship we have is really important and I’d say it’s a really good one. We’re able to talk about football things or just things in life. ... He’s been great in terms of finding things I’ve run in the past. We’ve had a ton of conversations, and things I’m comfortable with and the basis of this offense and how we want it to flow. He’s been very open and honest about the type of offense is. I’ve been doing my best to understand and comprehend it. I feel like we’ve made a ton of strides from where we started in the offseason to where we are now.”
And although Darnold’s coaches have worked to avoid overloading him, they also have exhibited confidence that he can assume a heavy load.
When looking to put the Houston Texans away in last week’s game, rather than shift to a conservative run-first philosophy, the Panthers put the ball in the hands of their quarterback.
“If you watch the way we call the game, we trust him. The last drive, we're throwing four verticals with him,” Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters. “Sam has some moxie. ... There were some huge conversions by Sam. He has some courageousness, but he's not going over the line or going over the top. He's protecting the football.”
Armed with coaches who understand how to position him for success, talented weapons and the league's stingiest defense, Darnold suddenly has begun taking steps toward fulfilling his potential.
Instead of falling into the all-too-familiar trap of expecting a young, talented quarterback to solve all of their problems, the Panthers have displayed an understanding of the importance of adequately supporting their young passer. In turn, Carolina could reap the rewards.
Darnold has a real shot at vindication if he’s able to successfully lead the Panthers into a new, highly competitive era.
But although he always strives to rebound from adversity, he’ll do so by focusing not on his past but rather the present.
“I’ve always had confidence and belief in myself and I think that starts first and foremost with the work that you put in,” Darnold said. “All the hard work that me, my teammates, my coaches put in during the offseason and during the season, we have every right to be confident on the field.. … We’re not necessarily surprised by our fast start, but we’re also very in tune with the fact that it’s just three games and it’s a long season. We’ve got to keep taking it one week at a time … because as we all know, this league is tough, and if you don't have that mindset each week, you get chewed up and spat out by this league.”
Darnold came close to that, but now, thanks to his approach and the foresight of the Panthers, redemption appears possible.
Follow Paste BN Sports' Mike Jones on Twitter @ByMikeJones.