The Washington Football Team’s quarterback carousel is spinning around and around and rumors are bouncing up and down.
According to The Athletic’s New York Jets reporter Connor Hughes, Ron Rivera and Washington are interested in the No. 3 overall pick from the 2018 draft Sam Darnold.
He recently reported Washington “already called,” but was rebuffed by the Jets who said they were not ready to make a decision about trading the 23-year-old quarterback just yet.
New York has the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and reportedly wants to complete their evaluations of some of the top QBs in the draft – including Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, and Justin Fields – before they decide about whether to let Darnold leave in a trade.
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However, this won’t likely end WFT’s interest. “I’d expect Washington to be involved all the way to the end,” Hughes wrote. He also mentioned three other potential suitors: the Broncos, the 49ers, and the Bears.
In MMQB, Albert Breer wrote that eight teams have called the Jets to inquire about Darnold, and he mentioned Washington, San Francisco, and Chicago as teams to watch.
This echoes what The Team 980’s Kevin Sheehan said earlier in February.
“I don’t know if Washington is one of those teams that have expressed interest [in acquiring Darnold],” Sheehan said on Feb. 17. “But it would not surprise me if they were one the teams because I know that there are people within the organization that do like Sam Darnold.
“There are quarterbacks that people in decision-making positions in the [Washington] organization – that aren’t on the roster – that they like. Obviously, they made a move for [Matt] Stafford, we know that. There were reports that they expressed interest in [Jared] Goff, and Derek Carr, and now Marcus Mariota.”
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Rivera missed out on Stafford and Goff when the Rams and Lions swapped those two quarterbacks in a deal that involved multiple draft picks.
Washington reportedly made an offer to Detroit for Stafford which included the team’s 2021 first-round pick (No. 19 overall) and a third-round pick. That offer was topped when Los Angeles offered up Goff and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023.
Ben Standig of The Athletic told Sheehan last week Washington did try to land Mariota from the Raiders, but trade talks had “cooled off."
Standing added, “I wouldn’t rule out Mariota” joining Washington in free agency if Las Vegas is unable to find a trade for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
Follow @BenKrimmel for the latest.
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