3 quarterbacks who need to be benched after Week 9

1. Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers

There were questions earlier in the week about whether or not the Panthers would have Sam Darnold on Sunday as he had to clear concussion protocol and, even after he did that, he still had a shoulder injury. And the performance he put forth against the Patriots seemingly shows that Carolina might’ve been better off if their QB1 hadn’t been able to give it a go.

Since there’s no kind way to put it, Darnold was horrendous at home against the Pats. He went just 16-of-33 for 172 yards with no touchdowns on the day. To make matters worse, he threw three interceptions on the day and fumbled on a strip-sack, though he was lucky enough to recover it when he put the ball on the turf.

New England has been the biggest nemesis for Darnold throughout his career as he had just one touchdown to six interceptions in his previous matchups against them while on the Jets. A change of uniform didn’t change his luck there in any capacity either as it’s now nine interceptions with the lone score to his credit.

It’s becoming abundantly clear that the trade to the Panthers hasn’t changed who Sam Darnold is, which is a pedestrian quarterback with horrible tendencies. Turning to P.J. Walker might not be the answer for Carolina but the fact that Darnold probably won’t get benched likely speaks more to their lack of options behind him than the play of the former first-round pick.