In 2018, the New York Jets needed a franchise quarterback but didn’t have the team or coaching staff to support one. Despite that, they traded up with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire the third overall pick that year in a quarterback-heavy draft.
They would draft one of the five quarterbacks in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold.
That class proved one of the best in recent history, producing Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. Sam Darnold has been playing well, and he may join them in the success stories of that class. Like Mayfield, though, Darnold has had to find success somewhere other than where he was drafted.
Darnold was asked about his former team before Sunday’s matchup, and he gave a rather humbling response: “No. I think I had a lot of opportunities in New York. I always felt like I could have played better there.”
It’s true that he was given opportunities, but the circumstances were less than ideal. Right now, he has Kevin O’Connell; at the time, he had Adam Gase. His top receiver was Quincy Enunwa; he now has Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The circumstances were less than ideal, but that doesn’t mean Darnold isn’t holding himself accountable.
Having that mindset, along with the coaching staff and skill players around him now, explains why he has been able to stick with it and finally break through.