Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is very familiar with what Carolina Panthers signal-caller Bryce Young was forced to deal with earlier this week.
After just two games this season, Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was benched by the Panthers and replaced in the starting lineup by 14-year veteran Andy Dalton. Less than two years after drafting him, Carolina has already lost faith in the quarterback who they thought would be the savior of the franchise.
Instead, Young will now watch Dalton attempt to lead the Panthers to just their third win since the final week of the 2022 season (not a typo). Now, Young can either sulk and feel sorry for himself, or he can fight for his career by following the lead of Darnold, a former Carolina quarterback.
Early success of Sam Darnold with Minnesota Vikings should give hope to Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young
Back during the 2021 offseason, Darnold was essentially benched by the New York Jets when they traded him to the Panthers in exchange for multiple draft picks. The Jets gave up on Darnold three years after selecting him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
But just as Carolina has done with Young, New York saddled Darnold with multiple bad coaching staffs, offensive teammates with below-average skills, and the expectation to immediately save the franchise. Unsurprisingly, it didn't go well.
Darnold was placed in a similar situation in Carolina, and some would argue it was even worse than what he had to deal with while he was with the Jets.
He and the Panthers got off to a 3-0 start in 2021, but then the team lost five of their next six games, and Darnold had to miss time after injuring his shoulder. While he was sidelined, Carolina fired its offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, with the hope that it would help turn things around.
So, when Darnold was ready to return, he had to work with a completely different offensive coordinator. Surprise, it didn't go well.
Darnold stuck around with the Panthers for one more season before he eventually signed with the San Francisco 49ers last year to be the top backup behind Brock Purdy. For the first time in his NFL career, he was given the opportunity to just sit back and learn from some of the best offensive coaches in the league.
His time with the 49ers resulted in him landing a deal with the Vikings earlier this year. The belief when Darnold signed with Minnesota was that he was brought in to be the team's bridge quarterback while the team developed a rookie.
But even after the Vikings spent the No. 10 pick on former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft earlier this year, Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell emphasized time and time again how Darnold was going to be the team's starting signal-caller this season.
For possibly the first time in his pro career, Darnold is working with a coaching staff that has done everything it can to make him as comfortable as possible out on the field. And, unsurprisingly to O'Connell, it's resulted in Darnold getting off to one of the best starts of his NFL career this season.
Now, we don't know how the rest of the 2024 campaign is going to turn out for Darnold. However, his early success is something that can provide Young with some reassurance that his benching this week doesn't mean that his career in the NFL is close to the end.
Not every player takes the same path to success in the league. For some, it's immediate. But for most, it takes multiple years for a player to even get close to reaching their potential.
Like Darnold, Young just needs to be given a chance by someone who knows where they're going.