3 Most Likely Starting Quarterbacks for the Panthers in 2023

After years of trying various quarterbacks, the Carolina Panthers desperately need to find a solution for the position in 2023. They only missed the playoffs by one game last year, which probably wouldn't have happened if they'd simply had a halfway decent quarterback.

With new head coach Frank Reich taking over, there's a chance for a fresh start this offseason. He'll have the chance to recruit who he wants to be his quarterback going forward, which could give Carolina the shakeup it needs to get back on track.

With that in mind, here are three candidates who could be the Panthers' starting QB in 2023.

Panthers Starting Quarterback 2023

3. Matt Corral

Carolina drafted Corral in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he wasn't able to play last year after suffering a season-ending injury during preseason. The Panthers were considering making him the starter before that happened, so he deserves another chance now that he's recovered. Corral showed a ton of promise at Ole Miss, finishing seventh in the 2021 Heisman Trophy race and having success as a dual-threat QB. Time will tell if his skills can translate to the NFL, but it's worth giving him a shot.

2. Derek Carr

The Panthers met with Derek Carr this week and appear very interested in the former Las Vegas Raiders QB. Reich said Carr "checked all the boxes" and called him a "good option." Carolina isn't the only team that thinks so, however, as the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets are also heavily pursuing him. The Panthers don't have a ton to offer in terms of skill position players after trading away Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson last year, so it's hard to imagine Carr choosing Carolina.

1. Sam Darnold

Darnold got off to a rough start with the Panthers in 2021 but played much better for them last year, going 4-2 as a starter with a 7:3 TD/INT ratio after coming back from injury. That might be enough to earn him the job in 2023, especially in a new coaching regime that might believe it can fix him. The former third overall pick has been ruined by bad coaches throughout his career, but perhaps Reich can finally unlock some of his potential. Now that he's healthy, Darnold deserves one more chance to prove he can succeed as an NFL quarterback before Carolina considers moving on.