Former NFL QB Bruce Gradkowski Not Buying the Sam Darnold Hype

The Panthers' new starting quarterback doesn't have everyone believing in him just yet.

There are several question marks surrounding the Carolina Panthers heading into the 2021 season and one of the biggest ones is at the quarterback position. Have the Panthers solved the QB spot after failing to do so with Teddy Bridgewater? We're about to find out.

Earlier this offseason, GM Scott Fitterer struck a deal with the New York Jets to acquire Sam Darnold. Despite the struggles Darnold had with the Jets, some believe that he still has what it takes to not just be a starting quarterback in the league but a franchise quarterback. However, there is still a fair share of doubters out there, and former NFL QB Bruce Gradkowski is one of them.

On Monday, Gradkowski released his quarterback rankings for the 2021 season and had Darnold sitting near the very bottom of that list at No. 28. 

"The No. 3 overall pick in 2018 will try to resurrect his career with Carolina. Darnold had the worst passing grade last year out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks, but he also didn’t get much help from the league's second-lowest-graded receiving unit. How much changes in Carolina? He will be surrounded by a more stable organization and leadership, as well as offensive weapons that will help take the pressure off. He’s athletic, tough, and able to make plays out of structure, but that is unpredictable. Let’s not forget Darnold has the fourth-highest uncatchable pass rate (21.9%) since 2019, so his accuracy will have to improve to utilize his weapons on offense."

The one thing I've learned over the years is that sometimes, the numbers do lie. Is Darnold's uncatchable pass rate impacted by poor offensive line play? Is it due to receivers not running crisp routes? As Gradkowski mentioned, it's not like Darnold was surrounded by a plethora of talent at receiver and a dominating offensive line. 

What I don't understand is how guys like Daniel Jones (20th), Jimmy Garoppolo (22nd), and Jameis Winston (24th) have just as many question marks as Darnold, yet are ranked several spots higher. If anything, Darnold should be right there with that group of guys. 

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