The NFL regular season doesn't begin until September 9, but the New York Jets already have their first win of 2021, according to JR.
During Monday's JRSportBrief show, JR applauded the Jets' decision to trade quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for draft picks, arguing that it was incumbent upon the franchise to wipe its slate clean with a new coaching regime in place.
"Right now, it looks like the New York Jets have it right," JR said. "They have a respected general manager [in Joe Douglas]. Let's see what he does in the draft. They no doubt have a head coach now that is respected across the league in a Robert Saleh. There's no doubt about that. They have a foundation that they can build with. It only makes sense, and it only has made sense, for the New York Jets to start over now at the most important position. New general manager, new head coach, new quarterback. It's looking like [BYU quarterback] Zach Wilson, and it's looking like that might be the best shot for the New York Jets to move on and actually have a bright future...
"They're not going to rest on their laurels here. They see what the deal is. And it's been a beautiful thing to see them make this trade and not think about it. It actually should put New York Jets fans at ease. The thing here is, when you have a new crew that comes in, it's very simple. Why are you going to hold onto something that's old, something that didn't work, something that didn't necessarily have the best value to the previous owners? It's like buying a house... You've moved into a brand-new house, you painted it up, you refurnished it. Don't keep the old couch. Get rid of it. Get a brand new one. Get something that you can have for years and years and years. The New York Jets actually did something good."
In three seasons with the Jets, Darnold, 23, encountered a perfect storm of instability. He went just 13-25 as a starter, with 8,097 total passing yards, 45 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions. On top of that, he finished the 2020 season as the league's lowest-rated passer (72.7), and since 2018 -- his rookie season -- his career passing rating of 78.6 ranks last among qualifying quarterbacks (39 of 39).
Darnold has also endured a handful of injuries since entering the league. He missed three games as a rookie with a sprained foot, three games in 2019 due to mononucleosis, and four games last season with a sprained throwing shoulder.
According to Spotrac.com, Darnold is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract with a total cap hit of $4.7 million. If Carolina wants to keep him for the 2022 season, they'll have to exercise his fifth-year option at $18.8 million by early May.
With the quarterback position now vacant, the consensus around the league is that the Jets will select BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick.
JR's complete thoughts on the Darnold trade can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.