Sam Darnold’s days in New York are likely numbered. Try as hard as he might to block the idea out, the Jets quarterback sounds as if he’s reached the same conclusion everyone else has.
“I love it here,” Darnold said Monday, per The Associated Press’ Dennis Waszak Jr. “I love the people here. I love living here. I’ve always said it, that I want to be a Jet for life. But again that decision isn’t up to me.”
That last line may be the closest Darnold comes to admitting that his next three games will likely be his last with the Jets. New York is 0-13, favored to finish the season winless, locked into a top-three pick in the 2021 draft and in control of the No. 1 selection. Many fans are hoping New York loses out and therefore locks in Trevor Lawrence as Gang Green’s next potential savior under center, a role Darnold was anointed just three years ago.
But Darnold has not — and, with limited time left, will not — lived up to the lofty expectations that were placed upon his shoulders after arriving in New York. There have been flashes of the magical playmaker who grabbed the attention of NFL scouts at USC, but Darnold’s pro career has mostly ranged from mediocre to woeful.
It hasn’t been entirely his fault. Darnold was never afforded the weapons nor the offensive line that other young quarterbacks in the league have benefited from in recent years, and injuries have only exaggerated the problem. Change and incompetence undoubtedly hurt Darnold from a coaching standpoint, as well. Adam Gase even took responsibility for the 23-year-old’s lack of development a few weeks back.
That said, Darnold has made plenty of mistakes all on his own, and his regression in Year 3 has been blatant. He still makes rookie mistakes with regularity, forcing passes that can only end with interceptions and failing to take care of the football. For all the risk and recklessness he plays with, he has failed to even pad his stats through mere accumulation. Darnold has yet to throw for more than 230 yards in a game this season and has surpassed 200 yards passing just twice. He has not thrown for a single score in five of nine games played and has thrown more than one touchdown only once.
He owns a QBR of 36.5.
Darnold was once again unproductive in Week 14. Playing against Seattle and the worst pass defense in the NFL, he went 14-26 for 132 yards, zero scores and zero interceptions. The Seahawks dropped more than one easy pick.
If these last few games were meant to serve as an extended audition for Darnold — and they most certainly were — the latest performance was a reminder of how poorly it’s going. Darnold, however, remains confident as he tries to tune out speculation that more resembles reality with every new loss.
“I believe in myself as a quarterback. Obviously, that decision isn’t up to me, but I’m always going to believe in myself,” he said, again nodding at his uncertain future, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I have the utmost confidence in myself to go out there and play good football on Sundays.”
If Darnold does ever play good football for an extended stretch of Sundays, it will almost certainly be for a different team. His young age, aforementioned flashes and the factors working against him all these years are logical reasons for a more functional franchise to gamble on him. Teams with quarterbacks in the twilight of their careers and/or ones not quite bad enough to secure a top pick make sense as trade partners for the Jets, as Joe Douglas will look to recoup some of the draft capital that his predecessor, Mike Maccagnan, sunk in Darnold.
At this point, it’s unclear what kind of return Darnold would fetch on the trade block, though it’s still presumed to be significant. A not-so-deep QB class beyond the top prospects certainly works in New York’s favor.
And so, barring anything miraculous, three games appear to be all that’s left in Darnold’s Jets career. Whatever talent remains untapped will be left to another team as New York, and its quarterback, inch closer and closer to a fresh start.