All signs are pointing to the New York Jets selecting BYU quarterback Zach Wilson in the NFL Draft later this month, which leaves everyone wondering whether or not Sam Darnold will be traded.
Well, there seems to be a couple of different reasons why Darnold remains a Jet as of now.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Jets “haven’t aggressively tried to move” Darnold ahead of the draft.
Breer cites GM Joe Douglas’ penchant for patience as he gathers information among the quarterback draft class, but also noted that no team has been willing to meet the Jets’ asking price for the 23-year-old quarterback.
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager offered another reason why no trade has been made — the Jets are waiting for a physical on Wilson.
Because there was no official NFL Scouting Combine this year, players have not undergone a physical through an objective third party, which Wilson will do.
“If that comes out completely clean, and it’s like, all right, this guy’s good to go and he’s 100-percent healthy, then I think that really loosens the Jets up a bit,” Schrager said Monday on “Good Morning Football.” “And they can say, ‘All right, now let’s start thinking about trading Sam Darnold.”
This rationale does fall in line with Breer’s reporting that Douglas wants to be patient and thorough with the quarterback class, and a third-party physical certainly fits that bill.
Schrager also noted that Darnold may not be moved until the draft itself, similar to what happened two years ago when the Arizona Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray and traded Josh Rosen the next day.
Whatever the case may be, the clock certainly seems to be ticking on Darnold’s time in New York.
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