Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold had trade rumors revolving around his name pop up as early as during the regular season in 2020. With the New York Jets in a tailspin and an offense that couldn't consistently move the ball, many pondered if a change at quarterback was the way to go.

On the other end of the spectrum, others took notice of a head coach in Adam Gase who seemed in over his head and a massive lack of talent around Darnold on the offensive side of the ball. Alas, the Jets dealt Darnold to the Panthers and while the quarterback is happy with the fresh start, they lead up to the trade was as grueling as one might imagine.

In an article by ESPN writer David Newton, Darnold detailed the struggles before the ultimate trade to the Panthers.

“That was tough. I'm not going to lie,” Darnold said Monday in his first public comments since the Jets traded him a week ago. “That was the tough part for me, just because … I'm a planner. I like to have things planned out and what the next step was going to be.”

The trading of Darnold was definitely a league wide topic for weeks but it was not a foregone conclusion that the Jets would part ways with the signal caller. Not knowing whether he would even be traded or not then realizing he might be but not knowing where took a toll on Darnold.

“The uncertainty there was, for lack of a better term, driving me insane.” – Darnold

For Darnold and the Panthers, hopefully a new start with a new franchise that has far more stability and a solid cast of characters on offense can help the young quarterback blossom in his second stop in his career. It could end up being his last pit stop to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.