We've heard the sound and fury from the Jets over the last month.
They fired their general manager after a reported clash with the head coach who just got there. Their newly signed star, Le'Veon Bell, eager to burnish his tattered image, doesn't appear for voluntary workouts, all while coach Adam Gase questions the prudence of Bell's hefty pay. All of which leads to more questions about Gase's vocational bloodlust. And you wonder how it all impacts the most important player on the team.
How is Sam Darnold? Is he moved by the noise? Do the political tremors push him from the pocket? Is he worried about his second head coach in two years? Is the instant instability weighing on the young man's mind?
Once Gang Green went gangrene (again), you had to wonder how their promising quarterback handled the chaos. The Jets were primed to leapfrog the Giants as the local team of record. The G-Men did nothing to address their perilous QB situation last year, then drafted Daniel Jones, the only Duke QB ever selected in the first round. The Giants had turmoil and roster turnover, and a GM whose agonizing Boston accent is amplified by his head-scratching moves.
Then the Jets went full corporate implosion. Now Gase, for the time being, has two bejeweled jobs -- coach and GM -- when he's never proved he can succeed in either. Now Darnold is learning his second offense in as many seasons. These are vital years in a QB's development. After three seasons, we generally know if you're a pro or a puffed-up college player.
Looking back at most of the greats, you find stability and a healthy fusion between a quarterback and coach. Joe Montana learned under Bill Walsh. Dan Marino was mentored by Don Shula. Terry Bradshaw knelt at the altar of Chuck Noll. Tom Brady has always been with Bill Belichick. Russell Wilson has Pete Carroll.
Quarterbacks can also survive one coaching change. Ben Roethlisberger lost Bill Cowher then paired up with Mike Tomlin. Peyton Manning first joined Jim Mora then won a Super Bowl with Tony Dungy. Troy Aikman mourned the departure of Jimmy Johnson, yet still won one more ring under Barry Switzer. John Elway became an icon under Dan Reeves though he won two Super Bowls under Mike Shanahan.
But Big Ben, Aikman, Manning and Elway were already stars by the time their second coach landed on the sideline, had paid their dues in sweat and sacks before their second acts as Hall of Famers. Darnold is still learning the game and adjusting to the whiplash speed of pro pass rushers.
In 1998, Manning was the first pick in the draft. The second QB selected was Ryan Leaf. Clearly, Darnold will be better than the troubled former Charger. But we have no idea if he will even approach Manning's eminence. To a man, stability is the hallmark of a successful franchise and a franchise quarterback. Darnold needs a firm corporate totem pole, and the Jets have little of it at the moment. Just don't worry about rookie stats as a precursor to greatness.
Darnold started 13 games his rookie season, going 4-9, throwing 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, while completing 57.7% of his passes for 2,865 yards. If that scares you, it shouldn't. Peyton Manning went 3-13 in his maiden NFL season, tossing 26 TDs with a league-worst 28 interceptions, completing 56.7% of his passes. Aikman went winless (0-11) in his rookie season, with 9 TDs and 18 interceptions, completing just 52.9% of his passes.
You say Aikman and Manning were playing on bad squads. In other words, exactly what Darnold was dealing with last year, flanked by arguably the worst set of skill players and offensive line in the league. But Aikman and Manning were selected to the Pro Bowl in their third years (Manning also in his second), quickly establishing themselves as the faces of their franchises and the future of the sport. And it all happened with solid, stable coaching and rock-solid drafts.
To that end, the Jets did sign a solid linebacker (CJ Mosley) and the most gifted halfback in the sport (Bell), and bagged the most dominant player in the draft (defensive tackle Quinnen Williams). There are more tools at Darnold's disposal. But he needs guidance as much as talent.
The Jets went all in on Gase, to such an extent you wonder if a potential GM worth his weight will want the Jets' job, fearful that Gase could have him whacked as well. No matter what happens, the club had better hope that Gase is the wunderkind they've projected him to be, imbuing him with power not normally reserved for a coach with a 23-25 career record. They can't can Gase and saddle Darnold with a third regime before he turns 23. (He turns 22 in a week.)
On Tuesday, sports talk shows formed a football motif, as Tuesday marked 100 days until the start of the NFL season. This season and the next will tell us if Darnold is a franchise quarterback and perhaps the Jets' first truly great passer since Joe Namath. And it starts with the men calling the shots more than the ones calling the plays.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel.
