Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes.
Assuming Mahomes recovers from the concussion he suffered on Sunday, those will be the four quarterbacks playing in the NFL’s conference championship games next weekend.
Does anyone really believe that Sam Darnold will ever keep that company playing for the Jets?
Evidently, some so-called experts do, since they’ve been trolling a narrative over the last week that general manager Joe Douglas and new coach Robert Saleh will be giving Darnold another go at it next season.
The basis for such a ridiculous take has often been those principals’ kind words in 2020, as if Douglas would ever knock an asset he may want to trade down several pegs, or Saleh, then San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, would provide bulletin board material before facing the Jets in Week 2.
Bill Belichick, who is almost as legendary for finding ways to laud every opponent as he is for winning games, was also effusive in his praise of Darnold prior to the season finale versus the Jets. However, it was telling when he let slip out at the end, “Good prospect.”
A prospect, going into his 38th NFL start over three seasons? Funny, no one has put that label on Allen, or two other QBs who played in this year’s divisional round – Cleveland’s Baker Mayfield and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson – selected alongside Darnold in the first round of the 2018 Draft. They’re being evaluated for their achievements, or lack thereof, as they should.
Yet, the theory goes that Darnold should get a pass, that his league-worst passing grade from ProFootballFocus.com among the 32 quarterbacks with at least 300 dropbacks this season is mitigated because he played on a 2-14 team.
Deshaun Watson also played on a lousy team in Houston, yet by many measures, he was the league’s third-best QB behind Rodgers and Brady, even leading the NFL in yards per attempt. The Texans’ offensive line was only marginally better than New York’s, with tackle Laremy Tunsil the sole lineman graded by PFF as at least a starter level in a 4-12 season.
Douglas should load up the truck to entice Houston to send him Watson, who, along with Mahomes, was passed over by prior Jets GM Mike Maccagnan in the 2017 Draft in favor of Jamal Adams. The added picks (first-rounders in 2021 and 2022 and a 2021 third-rounder) Douglas received from Seattle in last July’s Adams trade can be packaged alongside Gang Green’s second-overall pick to provide a decent package. Heck, throw in Darnold, too.
Unfortunately, Watson has a no-trade clause in the four-year, $156 million contract extension he signed in September, and, as miffed as he’s been on social media at his organization’s bumblings in the hiring process for a new GM and coach, he has yet to request a trade. New York also doesn’t seem to be considered a favored destination – and why should it be, given the state taxes, weather, and, maybe most importantly, the historical dysfunction here?
The consensus opinion is that Watson will eventually land in Miami, thanks to the Dolphins owning the third overall pick – a pick they acquired, ironically, when they dealt Tunsil to Houston. Though Watson allegedly was hoping the Texans would choose Saleh as their new coach, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Watson has told people that he likes the culture under Miami’s Brian Flores.
Having Watson in the AFC East should only heighten the urgency for Douglas to part with Darnold in favor of a new QB. Douglas can be a little patient, since the new league year is tentatively slated for March 17, with the Draft on April 29.
By those dates, Houston will have settled on its management structure and relationship with Watson, while Douglas should have all the relevant data on the top quarterbacks in the draft class, particularly Ohio State’s Justin Fields and BYU’s Zach Wilson.
Douglas has all he needs to know about Darnold. The few times he was at his best this season, Darnold was nothing more than a game manager. He breached the 200-yard passing barrier just four times in 12 starts, with a high of 266 yards in Week 17. Joe Flacco fared significantly better in the four games he filled in while Darnold was injured.
I likened Darnold’s ceiling to that of Andy Dalton, and not because they both wear No. 14 on their jerseys. Darnold has been slightly less accurate (59.8 percent versus 60.8 percent completion percentage) and more mistake-prone (3.2 versus 3.0 interception percentage) than Dalton was in their respective first three seasons. The biggest difference was their supporting cast, which helped Dalton lead the Bengals to four playoff berths in nine seasons before he moved to Dallas to be Dak Prescott’s backup prior this season…and almost led the Cowboys to the NFC East title.
Maybe Darnold can still be that guy if Douglas finds a true WR1 and tweaks the offensive line, but is that what the Jets should strive for? The goalposts should be much further out.
For a FAN’s perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.
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