The Jets may be giving up on the Sam Darnold experiment, having said publicly that they are fielding calls on the young quarterback and have yet to make a firm decision on the franchise’s future at the quarterback position.
But Darnold’s former passing instructor thinks that would be a massive mistake.
Jordan Palmer, a former NFL quarterback who has worked with Darnold since before the Jets drafted him out of USC with the third overall pick, joined Tom Curran on NBC Sports’ Patriots Talk podcast, and stressed that anyone writing off Darnold after three seasons is going to feel foolish for that declaration.
“A lot of people have drawn conclusions on Sam Darnold,” Palmer said. “I can definitely tell you, save this, mark it…you’re dead wrong. This guy is going to be so good in this league.”
Palmer has been an avid supporter of Darnold for years, even through his lackluster years with the Jets. He called Darnold one of the best young quarterbacks in the league prior to this past season, when New York finished with a 2-14 record, putting the franchise in position to draft BYU quarterback Zach Wilson to replace Darnold if they choose to go that route. But Palmer believes Darnold’s struggles can be blamed on the organization and former head coach Adam Gase.
“Most of the guys that I work with in a consistent capacity…I usually have a dialogue with the team, ‘Hey, I’ve been out here with this guy for six months, do you want to know what we’re doing?’” Palmer said. “I’ve never spoken with Adam Gase in my life, and I’ve spoken with other coaches all the time. That’s a little indicative right there, like you don’t have any concern with what this guy’s been doing for six months?”
Palmer worked with Darnold prior to the start of this season, trying to improve his deep ball accuracy among other areas of his game, but his quarterback rating dropped to a career low 72.7 percent. Palmer isn’t putting that on his student.
He believes Darnold’s struggles are a product of his surroundings, and if the Jets surround him with the right personnel, he will thrive.
“He didn’t have that equation,” Palmer said. “He’s as undeveloped as a player that has been drafted that high that we’ve seen in recent years.”
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