Report: Carolina Panthers Could Be Most Likely Destination For New York Jets Sam Darnold Trade

There has been non-stop speculation about where New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold may end up, but despite previous reports that the San Francisco 49ers were the “most aggressive” in pursuit of the #3 overall pick in 2018, their trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire the #3 selection in this month’s NFL draft has changed the landscape for where the signal-caller is most likely to land.

So, if not San Francisco, then which team should be considered the frontrunner to deal for the Jets’ incumbent starter?

According to our friends at uStadium, the answer to that question may reside in the city of Charlotte.

uStadium co-founder Nick Spano says that while there have been reports the market for Darnold has thinned over the last few weeks, the Jets still believe they can get a 2nd round pick for him, whether straight up, or in some sort of pick swap scenario, though the idea of a 1st rounder being involved in any way would be a non-starter for Carolina.

If the Jets were to trade the former USC star to Carolina, it would be somewhat ironic being that the Panthers’ current starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was signed by Gang Green in 2018 as a low cost flier before being shipped to the New Orleans Saints that summer after the team acquired Darnold in that April’s NFL draft.

So, technically, if a deal with the Panthers was made, if Bridgewater were to be beaten out for the team’s starting QB job by Darnold, it would be the 2nd time in 4 years that this scenario would have occurred.