What It Means:

Darnold was benched for miserable play in Week 7's loss, which begged the question. P.J. Walker replaced Darnold in the fourth quarter against the Giants but fared even worse than the former New York Jet, completing just 3 of his 14 attempts for 33 yards. The Panthers could be a team to watch as the trade deadline approaches, especially with the looming trade rumors regarding Deshaun Watson, who has not yet played in 2021 due to his ongoing legal issues and accusations of sexual assault.

Darnold started the season off hot, but has utterly collapsed over the past four weeks. Through the first three weeks, he averaged 8.44 adjusted yards per attempt and committed just 2 turnovers; in the following three (excluding Week 7), he averaged just 4.23 adjusted yards per attempt and committed 7 turnovers.