The Jets have received calls from multiple teams interested in trading for QB Sam Darnold, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter added that the Jets have not come to a decision on their plans at quarterback yet. ESPN reached out to the Jets looking for comment, but they did not confirm nor deny that they have received calls on Darnold.
With Robert Saleh hired as the team’s new head coach, Darnold’s future and the quarterback position are next on the Jets’ offseason to-do list. Saleh has praised Darnold’s skillset since his introductory press conference, but he has repeatedly stopped short of committing to the 23-year-old long-term.
Joe Douglas has taken the same approach. He believes Darnold has a “bright future” in the NFL but isn’t sure it will be with the Jets. Douglas wasn’t the one who drafted Darnold out of USC in 2018, so he has no ties to Darnold. Douglas has the final say on all personnel-related decisions but is consulting with Saleh.
Darnold’s third season with the Jets was a rollercoaster. He missed four games in 2020 due to a right shoulder injury. It was the third consecutive year that Darnold missed at least three games because of an injury.
In the 12 games that Darnold did play, though, the numbers weren’t pretty. He had a 57.6 percent completion percentage to go along with 2,208 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Jets were 2-10 in the games Darnold started.
News of potential Darnold suitors comes as QB trade talk picks up around the league. The Lions already agreed to send Matthew Stafford to the Rams for a haul and the Deshaun Watson sage remains ongoing in Houston. The Eagles are also expected to trade Carson Wentz soon. Among the teams that called Detroit about Stafford, according to Schefter: Washington, Indianapolis, Carolina, San Francisco and Chicago. All could be suitors for Darnold — if the Jets choose to trade him.
The Jets have a monster decision on their hands, but it doesn’t look like they’re ready to make it just yet. Over the next few weeks, though, they’ll have to decide whether to keep Darnold or trade him to another team.
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