Sam Darnold ‘Excites’ Panthers O Coord Joe Brady
Brady — “You’re getting a veteran, a guy that just so happens to be young. That was extremely enticing to us.”
Kim Becker (SI.com) — The Carolina Panthers have found something ‘extremely enticing’ in former USC QB, Sam Darnold.
Darnold was traded this offseason to the Carolina Panthers after spending three years with the New York Jets. Despite getting off to a rocky start in the Big Apple, things seem to be going well in Carolina.
“Just seeing him make reads, just seeing the throws, seeing him play off schedule, seeing him in the pocket identifying protections,” Brady explained. “It’s not like you’re getting a guy that’s brand new. You’re getting a veteran, a guy that just so happens to be young. That was extremely enticing to us.”
In Darnold’s three seasons with the New York Jets, he’s amassed 45 TDs and 39 picks in only 38 games. Looking ahead, Darnold hopes to rewrite his narrative with a fresh start in Charlotte.
“I haven’t been winning a ton of games, I think that is what I am most looking forward to. Obviously, there is a lot of work that needs to be put in to get the results, but that is definitely what I am looking forward to the most,” Darnold told All Trojans this summer while training in Orange County, Calif.
While there is skepticism surrounding Darnold’s game, Joe Brady is choosing to tune out the noise. “All I can judge it off is how everything has been right now,” Brady said. “It excites me.’’
Darnold and the Carolina Panthers open their 2021 season against his former team, the New York Jets, September 12, at 10 a.m. PT.
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