Former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold thinks the team “made a mistake” by trading him last offseason.
The quarterback, who now plays for the Carolina Panthers, joined the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast, where he made the comments, and vowed that he would remain a long-term starter in the NFL.
“I know I’m a good quarterback. I know I can be a good quarterback in this league. I’ve proved it,'” the 24-year-old said. “I know there’s a team, if something happens, that would want me.”
The passer was the Jets’ 3rd overall pick in the 2018 draft, and came into the league with high expectations out of USC, where he led the Trojans football team to a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.
Nevertheless, Darnold recorded a series of 3 seasons where Gang Green failed to make the playoffs, and Darnold never recorded a season with more than 13 games played.
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In his 3-year Jets stint, Darnold threw 45 touchdown passes, while seeing a measly 59.8% completion percentage, and 8,097 total yards.
“At the end of the day, it’s not my call,” Darnold said on the podcast. “If they don’t think I’m the guy, it is what it is.”
Ultimately, Jets general manager Joe Douglas, who joined the franchise during the 2019 offseason, dealt Darnold to Caroline for 3 later-round draft picks.
That was largely prompted by the team’s addition of Zach Wilson, who New York selected 2nd overall in the 2021 draft out of BYU. As the team looked to hand the starting job over to their new draft pick, Darnold found himself out of a job at MetLife Stadium.
Wilson started 13 games in his rookie season with the Jets last year, and the team posted a forgettable 3-10 record in those games. Wilson’s first year saw a 55.6% completion percentage, along with 9 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
