Could the New York Jets battle their former first-round pick in the Super Bowl?
Since Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets, the team has found itself as the topic of conversation around the NFL. It’s hard to ignore the Jets’ newfound media spotlight – especially some of the wild predictions being made about the team.
In his latest piece for NFL.com, Adam Schein predicts the Jets will make the Super Bowl – only to lose to the San Francisco 49ers. However, instead of Brock Purdy (who led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game last year) or Trey Lance (who the 49ers traded three first-round picks to select), Schein predicts the 49ers’ quarterback will be the man New York traded up to draft in 2018: Sam Darnold.
Despite seeing Darnold flame out in New York and then getting benched in Carolina for P.J. Walker, some continue to believe in the raw talent that made Darnold the third overall pick in the 2018 draft. Count Schein as one of those believers.
Darnold’s time in New York was tumultuous, to say the least. His first pass in the NFL was a pick-six in a game against the Detroit Lions.
On the very first play of his NFL career, Jets QB Sam Darnold throws a pick-six to Lions DB Quandre Diggs. pic.twitter.com/H0i985ky9Z
— social cancer (@SlopingGiraffe) September 10, 2018
In his final two seasons as a Jet, Darnold was coached by Adam Gase – who was more famous for the faces he made during the introductory press conference than his ability to coach the team.
Darnold finished his three-year career in New York with a 59.8 percent completion rate, a 78.6 passer rating, 45 passing touchdowns, and 39 interceptions. Over two years in Carolina, Darnold played at an almost identical level, completing 59.5 percent of his passes with a 77.3 passer rating, 16 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
It’s fair to say Darnold didn’t get a fair shake in New York, but predicting the 25-year-old to start over Purdy and Lance in the Super Bowl seems more detached from reality than a plausible situation for the 49ers.
