Sam Darnold landing spots: 5 teams who could target Jets QB

Washington is essentially an option for any quarterback that is available this offseason and was reportedly already in pursuit of Stafford, but balked at adding an additional first-round pick to their offer.

With Darnold, Washington would not have to part with any first rounders. The Jets would probably want to try and at least get a third rounder back for Darnold and the good news for the Football Team is that they have two third-round picks this year, making one of them expendable if needed.

Darnold would be an ideal fit in Washington. The team has a talented core and Darnold could be the young quarterback to insert into the offense and continue to build around. The Jets QB clearly missed his big-play wide receiver in Robby Anderson this past year, but Terry McLaurin could be that explosive weapon for Darnold in Washington.

The Texans and the Jets are going to be mentioned in the same breath a lot over these next few weeks. With Watson’s displeasure in Houston, the Texans quarterback has reportedly made the Jets his No. 1 preference so he can play for Saleh, whom Houston declined to interview.

The Jets have multiple first-round picks to get a deal done, and while one of those picks is the No. 2 overall pick in which Houston could potentially use on Justin Fields, the Jets could also add Darnold into the deal to give the Texans their quarterback, too.

Determining whether or not Fields or Darnold has the brighter future is the question the Jets are currently asking themselves, and there is certainly a strong case to be made in Darnold’s favor. If that is how the Texans feel, they could potentially accept a trade that includes Darnold and use the No. 2 pick to draft someone like Devonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase as an explosive wide receiver to pair with him, or Penei Sewell to give Darnold protection up front.

The 49ers never made an official offer for Stafford, but they were reportedly among the teams in the mix for the veteran quarterback as it appears Jimmy Garoppolo’s days in San Francisco could soon be over.

Darnold is an intriguing option for San Francisco. His injury history is a bit worrisome, which is not ideal considering Garoppolo has struggled to stay on the field, too, but Darnold is still young and his full potential may not have yet been tapped. It is enticing to think what Darnold could become under Kyle Shanahan on a team that is still just one year removed from being in the Super Bowl.

With Philip Rivers retiring, the Colts are perhaps the most interesting team to watch on who they choose to be their quarterback. Indianapolis is already a playoff-ready team with arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. Head coach Frank Reich has been lauded for what he was able to do with Carson Wentz in Philadelphia and has even compared Darnold to Wentz in the past.

Darnold in Indianapolis could be the perfect place for the Jets quarterback to revive his career.

The Panthers could be a bit of a darkhorse team that could make a play for Darnold. While Teddy Bridgewater has certainly overcome a lot to get back into a starting job, it does not seem as if his marriage in Carolina is working out.

The Panthers were in on Stafford, and while Darnold does not have quite the same pedigree as Stafford, he is a young, talented quarterback whom head coach Matt Rhule offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who is believed to be a rising star among the coaching ranks, can get their hands on and build around. Not to mention, Darnold would be reunited with his former big-play weapon in Robby Anderson.