The Carolina Panthers thought they found their starting quarterback of the future when they started the 2021 football season 3-0. Sam Darnold had three 300-yard passing performances in his first four games. In his five starts since? None.

To make matters worse, the Panthers have lost 10 of their past 12 games. Needless to say, things look a lot different in Week 17 than they did in Week 3. The situation got so bad, they decided to fire offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

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Bringing in 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton didn’t provide a spark either, as he’s lost all five of his starts as well.

Despite trading a 2021 sixth-round pick in addition to their 2022 second and fourth-round picks for Darnold ahead of the 2021 season, he does not appear to be a viable option for the future. Not if this team wants to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

So who is? We’ve identified four candidates to be the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback in 2022.

Sam Darnold keeps pounding for another year

Yeah, we get it. Sam Darnold is probably not the first name any Panthers fan wants to hear in the starting lineup when the 2022 year begins, but it’s not unrealistic for the 24-year old QB to remain on the roster.

Should the organization decide to draft another young quarterback with their first selection, starting the more experienced Darnold may be the preferred route until they feel the rookie is ready. The third overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft has just one year remaining on his contract after the Panthers picked up his 2022 team option.

  • Sam Darnold contract: $18.8 million in 2022