Twitter was simply not ready for Sam Darnold to be traded to the Carolina Panthers on Monday.
With former New York Jets starting quarterback Sam Darnold being shipped to the Carolina Panthers for a handful of picks, you better believe Twitter was not equipped to handle it.
The trade means the Panthers are no longer in the market to take a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. It also means the Jets are going to take a quarterback second overall, almost certainly being Zach Wilson out of BYU. While some Jets fans are sad to see Darnold go, they accept defeat in that their team has been poorly run forever, as they wish him the very best down in the NFC South.
Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers created quite a reaction on social media.
There were really three main reactions on Twitter from Darnold going from the Jets to the Panthers: Jets fans being happy for him that he’s not playing in utter dysfunction anymore, how badly Darnold played in Jets uniform and why the Chicago Bears couldn’t muster up the courage to trade for him this offseason.
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) April 5, 2021
Sam Darnold to @Panthers 💥 pic.twitter.com/tjWOz1mQae
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) April 5, 2021
If Joe Brady can save Sam Darnold, I think Adam Gase has to leave the country.
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) April 5, 2021
I’m an AD guy now but trading for Sam Darnold and hoping he’s better without Adam Gase is a decent gamble I would have loved for the Bears to have taken.
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) April 5, 2021
But again I’m an AD guy now.
The Jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, but Gang Green will get a firm reset with presumably Wilson going to the Big Apple to play for first-year head coach Robert Saleh.
The #Jets just traded Sam Darnold to the Carolina #Panthers for a cluster of draft picks #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/uf7eGLt37e
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 5, 2021
Sam Darnold ranked 30th among QBs on accurate passes (56%) thrown from a clean pocket in 2020 pic.twitter.com/TIVt1QmnQJ
— PFF (@PFF) April 5, 2021
Sam Darnold was the absolute least of the #Jets problems the past three years. Deserved better from the moment he got to town. He’s going to be a really good quarterback in the NFL. I’ll be rooting for him. #Panthers
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) April 5, 2021
In 2018-19, Sam Darnold to Robby Anderson on the Jets
— Will Bryan (@will_bryan08) April 5, 2021
88 completions
88.5 comp pct
1341 yds
11 TDs
21 comps of 20+ yards pic.twitter.com/U7wXwhFtwS
While Darnold has not officially busted in the NFL, the Jets nearly did the impossible by setting up their former No. 3 overall pick for failure unilaterally across the board for three years. He has a chance to succeed in Charlotte playing for defensive-minded head coach and offensive guru Joe Brady.
To my beautiful boy Sam Darnold: I'm sorry for what they did to you in New York. Knock 'em dead in Carolina.
— Sean Fennessey (@SeanFennessey) April 5, 2021
Not sure it this is legal or not but I like the Sam Darnold trade for both the Jets and Panthers.
— Joe Marino (@TheJoeMarino) April 5, 2021
Previous Jets front office didn’t provide Sam Darnold the necessary support (especially OL & HC) to be successful. Focus of new leadership will be to give next QB better chance of success.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 5, 2021
Sam Darnold is the fourth 1st-round pick from the 2018 @NFL Draft to get traded.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) April 5, 2021
As for Bears fans, their 2021 marriage to Andy Dalton feels like a shotgun wedding set up by general manager Ryan Pace. Though Dalton should be an improvement over Mitchell Trubisky, Darnold was infinitely the better pro prospect coming out of USC a year later than Trubisky ever was coming out of North Carolina a year prior. The Bears have made their bed and must lie in it.
By trading for Darnold, the Panthers’ rebuild has been accelerated and he has a chance to succeed.