Mark Sanchez sees the same dysfunction that ultimately plagued his Jets career happening to Sam Darnold.
The Jets are 0-3, have been outscored 94-37 and have yet to look competitive through three weeks of football. Darnold has struggled, but he also hasn’t had much to work with in terms of a supporting cast.
For Sanchez, it’s an all too familiar sight.
“You’re putting a product out there on the field that is in no way ready to compete with the league. Honestly, it is frustrating to watch and I really feel for Sam. I’ve lived it,” the former Jets QB said on the Pat McAfee Show Monday. “The last two seasons I had in New York, the rosters looked almost identical.”
Sanchez has been on the other side. He was part of two teams that went to back-to-back AFC Championship Games. It was later in his Jets career that the roster around him became insufficient. From 2012-13, Sanchez had a supporting class that included an injury-riddled Santonio Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, Stephen Hill, Jeff Cumberland, Shonn Greene, Bilal Powell, a run-down offensive line and Tim Tebow.
As bad as New York’s offensive skill players were then, they might be even worse for Darnold now. The Jets’ current top healthy skill players are Braxton Berrios, Chris Herndon and Frank Gore.
Sanchez and Darnold, who worked out together in Southern California during the offseason, have a lot in common. They’re both former USC quarterbacks who left college early. Both were touted as saviors for the Jets coming out of college, but only Sanchez was drafted to a team that was ready to compete for a Super Bowl.
As we’ve seen during Darnold’s first three years in the league, the Jets are a long way from being competitive.