Sam Darnold doesn’t seem to be a franchise quarterback in the eyes of the New York Jets. In a chat with reporters on Wednesday, Jets general manager Joe Douglas admitted that the team is willing to listen to offers for their No. 3 pick in 2018.
Douglas said that he still believes that Darnold has a future in the league but would take a call if a team is interested in him.
“As it pertains to Sam, we think Sam is a dynamic player in this league with unbelievable talent,” said Douglas. “He really has a chance to hit his outstanding potential moving forward. [But] if calls are made, I will answer them.”
Douglas being uncommitted to Darnold results from multiple options that the Jets have to address the position this offseason.
They own the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, which they can use to take another young signal-caller like BYU’s Zach Wilson or Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Another way to go is to package the pick with other assets to pursue a proven quarterback like disgruntled Houston Texans star Deshaun Watson.
There’s also a scenario where the Jets keep Sam Darnold and give him another year to prove himself, but this seems highly unlikely.
In his three years as a starter, Darnold failed to show that he can be a long-term solution for the Jets at the position. He compiled a 13-25 record while completing just 59.8 percent of his passes for 8,097 yards. The 23-year-old player also has 39 picks compared to 45 touchdowns.
