As the NY Jets settle into year two with Aaron Rodgers, at least training camp number two, there are ghosts of Jets' QB past warming up all over NFL training camps. Zach Wilson is rocking a weird new haircut in Denver, Geno Smith is still in the midst of his late career resurgence in Seattle, and Sam Darnold is now donning Vikings purple in Minnesota.
But apparently one of those three is turning heads in a big way. Going into the season as the presumptive starter ahead of what the Vikings hope is the future in J.J. McCarthy, Darnold appears to be having some very early success in his new digs.
With some new and shiny toys at his disposal in Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson, reports out of camp say that the former USC standout is hurling bombs to the talented receiving duo. Two deep passes in particular really drummed up all the fuss, including the below toss to Jefferson.
Sam Darnold airing it out deep to Justin Jefferson 😳
Do you buy the Darnold Resurgence Tour? pic.twitter.com/wkAKyH28g6— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) July 25, 2024
The way Darnold effortlessly catapults the ball deep into the sky and across the field reminds us why he was such a heralded prospect back in 2018. No one ever said that Darnold's flameout in New York was due to a lack of talent. If they did, they were wrong.
Darnold was dealt one of the worst hands a rookie QB can be dealt. Selected third overall to the biggest market in professional sports, Darnold was expected to turn around one of the more dysfunctional franchises in the league.
He was expected to do this at the young age of 21, with a defensive-minded head coach who was about to be on his way out in Todd Bowles. After Bowles got the boot, the two-year circus that was Adam Gase's tenure in New York ensued.
In other words, Darnold had no chance from the beginning. Whether it was catching mononucleosis to start the 2019 season or "seeing ghosts" on national television, his Jets' career always felt doomed.
But that doesn't mean his rocket arm and underrated athleticism aren't a thing. That doesn't mean that he never had the ability that the Jets saw in him when they drafted him.
So now, after a stop in Carolina and San Francisco, he is a QB1 once again. What does all of this mean for the Jets? Probably nothing. They are certainly happy with their current quarterback and wouldn't trade positions with the Vikings.
What does all of this mean for Sam Darnold? That remains to be seen. Whether he succeeds or not, at some point the Vikings are going to opt for their first-round pick McCarthy.
That could be this season or it could be next, but regardless, Darnold is likely not a long-term mainstay in Minnesota. But a stand-out season from him could mean a longer-term term contract down the line.
Though it likely has no bearing on the current-day Jets, it is worth noting that Darnold is having a moment. At one point, the collective Jets world's hopes and dreams were sitting square on Darnold's shoulders. Three teams and four seasons later, just a report of a good day of practice is a win for Darnold.
Always a class act though, as long as it isn't for a Lombardi Trophy, I think most Jets fans are rooting for his success.
