Welter: Darnold looks like just a rebound not a long term relationship

By Pat Welter, WRAL Sports reporter

We all remember the first time seeing an ex with someone new. Makes you feel some type of way right? Not Sam Darnold apparently….at least in the football sense.

“No,” Darnold said when asked if he experienced any vindication beating the New York Jets, the team that traded him away this past off season.

“I’m sure later tonight, maybe tomorrow as I’m watching the game I’ll start to feel that,” Darnold said. “It was just good to get a win.”

Darnold is happy in his new relationship with Carolina. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule is too.

“Sam played excellent,” Rhule said. “He hung in there, he moved around, he slide around in the pocket, he made plays down field, made key third down throws.”

Rhule and Darnold are in a good mood. They should be they won. However when the honey moon is over and Carolina faces a team that doesn’t have a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback how do we think this is going to look? Darnold missed two wide open passes in the redzone in the first half. He also fumbled a handoff exchange from the four yard line. The Panther offense scored just three points in the second half. Had an onside kick gone New York’s way, Carolina could have lost the game.

I know, way to ruin a 1-0 start. I say this because the Jets gave Darnold away for a 2nd, 4th and 6th round pick for a reason. He couldn’t get it done. Obviously his situation in New York wasn’t ideal, but for top five picks it rarely is.

The problem with the Darnold trade isn’t the cost of what they gave up to get him. It’s the opportunity cost of what they could have done in this year or even next year’s draft. Carolina drafted corner back Jaycee Horn out of the University of South Carolina with the 8th overall pick.  They passed on Justin Fields who went to the Chicago Bears at 11 and Mac Jones who went to the New England Patriots at 15.

With Darnold’s experience and Carolina’s weapons on offense and defense this team should at least compete for a playoff spot. That’s good for Matt Rhule who is trying to keep his job, that’s good for Sam Darnold, but I’m not convinced it’s good big picture for the organization. I can’t help but imagine Charlotte native and University of North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell in a Panthers uniform. If the Panthers draft outside the top ten they won’t get him.

I watched Zach Wilson Sunday and I saw a franchise quarterback. He was under constant duress and found a way to get New York back in the game. He can make off platform throws and off schedule plays that you rarely see in the NFL.  Plays that Darnold was supposed to be able to make coming out of USC. The Jets walked into Bank of America Stadium with someone new and they can feel excited about the future. The Panthers should be wondering if this new Darnold relationship is just another rebound.