“Cautiously optimistic.”
That is the mealy-mouthed, half-answer I often give when asked how confident fans of a certain team should be regarding their quarterback. It is a massive hedge, leaving room for an exit strategy should the QB crash and burn during the season. But should he actually go on to succeed, I can point back to the second word of that answer and state with supreme confidence that I saw the success coming from miles away.
If you were to ask me that question with respect to Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers and Sam Darnold, you would get that answer.
Cautiously optimistic.
But there are reasons for optimism. First is the distance between Darnold and Adam Gase, as illustrated by the sage Doug Farrar last night. Second is the offensive talent around the QB position in Carolina, including Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Christian McCaffrey. Third, of course, is offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Brady, who many believe is on his way to a head coaching job sooner rather than later, has a way of helping quarterbacks through concepts, formation and more.
Looking at these three throws against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday night you can see even more reasons for optimism:
Obviously there is a lot of football to be played, but Panthers fans might also feel a bit of that cautious optimism this Saturday morning.
