Aaron Rodgers‘s name has popped up again while an NFL expert discussed New York Jets young quarterback Sam Darnold.
What’s a young NFL career without added pressure? Don’t ask Sam Darnold; he doesn’t know.
The New York Jets quarterback who just turned 23 on June 5 experienced all types of pressure. Attempting to fill the quarterback shoes of an organization that hasn’t employed a true franchise face since Joe Namath is more than enough pressure for any player. Now, the California kid needs to (yet again) experience the comparison of one of his quarterback brothers from the same state.
Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms used Aaron Rodgers’s name when discussing young Darnold.
“I saw improvements from year one to year two with Sam Darnold in some areas,” Simms recently said. “He has got a very quick release. He can get it out of his hand as good as about anyone in the NFL not named Aaron Rodgers as far as quickness throwing it. He is phenomenal in the pocket. I mean a master Jedi in the pocket. He has got phenomenal feet. He has got great feel. He is one of those guys that can move around the pocket and it looks like he is looking at the rush the way is he avoiding these guys, but yet he can look downfield and still evaluate his receivers and the coverage, and still make throws that way.”
While labeling Darnold a “master Jedi” in the pocket may be a little too strong, his awareness skills are on point—perhaps too on-point when things are going wrong (i.e. the Ghost game). And his quick release is as legit as any thrower in the league, which is why the Rodgers comparisons make sense.
In fact, this isn’t the first time Rodgers has been brought up when somebody discussed Darnold’s skills. Last training camp, Rodgers’s former teammate, Ty Montgomery, also couldn’t help but mention the two quarterbacks in the same discussion.
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