A Week 5 Sam Darnold pass may haunt the Carolina Panthers

The former Panthers QB is always finding ways to hurt the team even now.

Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig (7) rushes against Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

While Sam Darnold was the Carolina Panthers quarterback, he rarely had much success. There's a reason he was jettisoned for Baker Mayfield and was only given another shot after that spectacular failure.

More than he helped, Darnold hurt the team. And again in Week 17, the quarterback, now visiting as a star and not a bust with the Seattle Seahawks, hurt the Panthers by beating them, although it was much more a defensive win than anything.

And now that the Panthers are in a win-and-in situation, we can look back at one Sam Darnold pass from Week 5 that improbably looms large.

Sam Darnold's Week 5 interception may cost the Panthers

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) meet on the field following a game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

In Week 5, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were really good. They looked like a real contender in the NFC and would for a few weeks. The wheels have since fallen off, and they're clinging to slim hope of winning the division.

In particular, one game stands out. In Week 5, the Bucs and Seattle Seahawks, ironically using two former Panthers QBs, battled it out. It was 35-35 very late, and Darnold had a chance to win the game.

With how the offense had hummed, that seemed almost inevitable until a pass clanged off a teammate's helmet and was intercepted. That gave the Bucs great field position, and they kicked the field goal to win.

Assuming everything else happened the same way, which is silly and a logical fallacy anyway, the Panthers would've clinched by now. This game would be meaningless, because they'd be 8-8 and the Bucs 6-10. There would be no path to the same record.

Of course, the Panthers can still take care of business, but when it comes down to such razor-thin margins, it's easy to wonder if one or two things had just gone a different way.

The Panthers themselves have their own "what if" scenarios, like what if they'd just split with the New Orleans Saints. That game is fruitless to play, because it only leads to frustration. Still, it's a little funny how a Darnold pass looms so large given the connection between him, Mayfield, and the Panthers.

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