CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers showed how committed they were to Sam Darnold in Thursday's first round of the draft by not picking a quarterback and backed that up Friday morning by picking up his fifth-year option.
WIth the option, Darnold, recently acquired in a trade with the New York Jets, is guaranteed $18.8 million in 2022.
The expected decision came after Carolina selected South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn with the eighth pick while Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and Alabama quarterback Mac Jones still were on the board.