Sam Darnold and Geno Smith had eventful Fridays, in very different ways
In polar opposite ways, Friday night was a big one for two former faces of the New York Jets: Sam Darnold and Geno Smith.
First, we’ll cover the bad news. Darnold suffered an injury during the Carolina Panthers’ preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. It was later revealed to be a high-ankle sprain. His timetable for a return has yet to be revealed, and he will have an MRI today.
Sam Darnold was taken off the field on a cart after suffering a nasty-looking injury on this play.
Prayers up 🙏🏽pic.twitter.com/MLfFYcLD37
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 27, 2022
#Panthers QB Sam Darnold is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain based on the initial evaluation, sources say. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow to determine the severity and if there is other damage.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2022
In the week leading up to this game, the Panthers officially announced that Baker Mayfield had beaten out Darnold for the starting quarterback job. Mayfield started against Buffalo and threw two touchdown passes before Darnold relieved him.
Smith received great news on Friday. Following the Seattle Seahawks’ preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Pete Carroll announced that Smith would be the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback. Smith competed against Drew Lock for the job.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Geno Smith named Seahawks starting QB for Week 1 by HC Pete Carroll https://t.co/vwDxE0bZGc pic.twitter.com/6LEREqqRFs
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) August 27, 2022
It’s been nearly a decade since Smith’s last opportunity to be a team’s primary starting quarterback. This will be Smith’s first Week 1 start since 2014, which was his second year with the Jets. Now 31 years old, Smith is entering his 10th NFL season.
Since his final season with the Jets in 2016, Smith has actually posted some decent numbers. From 2017 to 2021, Smith completed 91 of 140 passes (65%) for 955 yards (6.8 per attempt), 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception, earning a passer rating of 96.0. He has a 1-3 record as a starter over that span.
Smith will lead the Seahawks in the first Monday Night Football game of the 2022 regular season when the Denver Broncos visit the Pacific Northwest on September 12. It will mark the return of former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who Smith backed up in 2021.
