The Carolina Panthers are in quite a messy situation right now. They have struggled to find a reliable option at the quarterback position since they released Cam Newton in 2020. They traded for Sam Darnold from the New York Jets in 2021. Unsurprisingly, this also didn’t work out for them.

Last season, Carolina Panthers acquired Cam Newton to fill in for an injured Darnold, but he didn’t play well either. The franchise is now looking at options beyond both of them ahead of the next season.

Cam Newton was once the savior of this franchise, but age has taken a toll on him. He isn’t the player he used to be during his earlier stint in Carolina. As a result, it would be better for both the parties to part ways.

In a recent press conference, the new offensive coordinator of the Panthers, Ben McAdoo, was asked a couple of questions related to Darnold. When asked about whether Sam Darnold will be the franchise’s starting quarterback, he said, “Yes.”

However, he soon backed out of his statement and said, “One of the things I’ve been working on is being better talking to you people [media], so announcing the starting quarterback here I just put my foot in my mouth, That wasn’t something I should have said.”

Ben McAdoo is still confident about Sam Darnold despite rumors about his future

The rumors have started circulating about the future of Sam Darnold at the Carolina Panthers. Surprisingly, his new offensive coordinator lauded him in his statements with the press.

McAdoo talked about Darnold and said, “I think he’s special, He’s obviously a talented guy, he can make plays with his feet. I’d just have a hard time drafting a guy in the first round where you don’t necessarily like the way he throws.”

The Carolina Panthers are among the talks about drafting a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft. This has fueled further speculations about Darnold losing his role.

Will Sam Darnold play next season?

The Panthers have many options on their hand regarding the quarterback position. Either they can stick with Sam Darnold for another season or look to get another quarterback to lead this team.

The quarterback can be drafted, with Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis being available in the upcoming draft. These two are the standout quarterback of their class, and as a result, many teams will be interested in them.

If they want to go for a safer option and look for a much more experienced quarterback, then notably the likes of Baker Mayfield and Jimmy G are available. These two quarterbacks need a new team, and Carolina could be a perfect spot for them.

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