The New York Jets are preparing to face their former franchise quarterback, Sam Darnold, for the second time since he was traded out of the organization in April 2021.
Ahead of the Week 5 clash, Darnold reflected on his time in green and white. When asked whether the Jets failed him, Darnold replied, “I don’t think the Jets failed me. I had a lot of opportunities in New York, and I always felt like I could have played better there.”
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"I had a lot of opportunities in New York, I always felt like I could've played better there"
Sam Darnold on his time with the Jets: pic.twitter.com/gq1gYKnKnC
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 3, 2024
Darnold has gotten off to a remarkable start this season, leading the league in touchdown passes (11) and passer rating (118.9).
Ahead of Darnold’s second reunion with the team that drafted him, several Jets praised Darnold for his astonishing start to the season.
“He has gotten a lot of experience and improved a lot since he was here and is still young,” Darnold’s former teammate Connor McGovern said. “When he came here, he was barely 21 years old and playing QB in this league at that age is tough. Now, he’s playing really, really good football. I am happy for him.
“I think the system he is playing in now is really built for him. He is an athlete; he can move and can operate outside of the pocket. That true West Coast system is definitely what Sam is built for. He has been playing well this year.”
Linebacker C.J. Mosley also spoke highly of Darnold’s football IQ.
“I think [Darnold] is doing a great job,” Mosley said. “He’s not making a lot of risky passes. He’s being decisive when he knows what coverage the defense is in, and he can dice you up. If teams start to try to take their main receivers away, they can get in the run game and cause big plays with their running backs coming out of the back field.
“Just watching from the sideline while Sam was here and just seeing what he’s been doing on film, he’s a very smart quarterback. He does a great job of looking off defenders. What he’s been doing well so far is just really obviously not making turnovers, but being decisive with his passes, putting his players in positions to succeed.”
While it’s encouraging to see Darnold’s former Jets teammates sending praise his way, their focus remains on defeating the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday to improve to 3-2 on the season.
