It does not sound as though the New York Jets are fully committed to Sam Darnold.
To be clear, many football fans and media members alike assumed the Jets could move on from Darnold this offseason. New York could use the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on a quarterback and the franchise has enough resources to make a highly competitive offer for Deshaun Watson, should the Houston Texans make the superstar signal-caller available for trade.
But on Wednesday we effectively heard it straight from the horse’s mouth. Jets general manager Joe Douglas noted the organization would not disregard any phone calls it received from teams asking about Darnold.
“I will answer the call if it’s made,” Douglas said, per NFL.com. “As it pertains to Sam, like I said, Sam, we think, is a dynamic player in this league with unbelievable talent who really has a chance to really hit his outstanding potential moving forward. But, like I said earlier, if calls are made, I will answer ’em.”
In fairness to Darnold, he’s yet to be set up to succeed at the professional level. The 23-year-old had two different head coaches over the course of his first three seasons in the Meadowlands and he was surrounded by a below-average supporting cast in each of those campaigns. Given his age, skill set and make up, the jury still is out on whether Darnold can be a solid starting QB.
That said, opportunities to trade for a generational talent who can transform a franchise only come around every so often. New York undoubtedly has to take a swing at dealing for Watson if given the chance, which all but surely would spell the end of Darnold’s Jets tenure.
