Robby Anderson Explains How Sam Darnold Has Changed Since Leaving New York
By Peter Dewey
Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold is out to prove that he isn’t a bust after a rough start to his career with the New York Jets.
Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, was traded to Carolina this offseason and it seems he’s turning a corner. Panthers wideout Robby Anderson, who also played with Darnold in New York, can already see a difference in his quarterback.
"When I walked in the building I could see a new energy out of him, like a glow, charisma that I didn't really see in New York,'' Anderson said. "I can definitely see the difference in him so far.''
Anderson didn’t stop there.
"You know when a person can see like a glow, energy, their aura?'' Anderson said. "I could kind of see that when I walked in the building."
Darnold was given a huge vote of confidence from Carolina when it traded Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. After three mediocre years as a Jet under head coach Adam Gase, Darnold has a second chance to prove he can be a franchise quarterback.
"The New York system was a little more complex, had a lot of nuances that was more difficult for everybody, not just him, not just me,'' Anderson said. "This system is a little more graspable."
While all this is great news for the Panthers, Vegas isn’t buying Darnold’s presence as a reason for Cariolina to make the playoffs. WynnBET has the Panthers’ projected win total set at 7.5 this season, but the under (-125) is favored to the over (+105).
The Panthers also have the third-best odds to win the NFC South at +850 which is well behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-220) and New Orleans Saints (+370).
Darnold has thrown for just 45 touchdowns to 39 interceptions in his NFL career, but he will have plenty of weapons to work with in Carolina. Anderson, D.J. Moore and Christian McCaffrey should all make things a little easier for a quarterback who had very little help in New York.
Darnold took a lot of flak for his play with the Jets, but we will finally find out if it was all on him, or if Gase’s coaching took a toll on the signal-caller.