Are the New York Jets gearing up for a reunion with a quarterback they drafted at No. 3 overall in 2018?
Probably not, at least according to a new report from Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport.
On Monday, Davenport reviewed some of the Jets’ options at QB now that Aaron Rodgers is no longer in the picture.
When it comes to Minnesota Vikings quarterback and former Jet Sam Darnold, Davenport believes that a return to New York is unlikely despite reports to the contrary.
“There isn't a quarterback in the NFL who exceeded expectations more in 2024 than Sam Darnold,” Davenport said.
“Entering the season, the 27-year-old was Plan B for a Vikings team reeling from the loss of rookie J.J. McCarthy to an ACL tear. Fast-forward a handful of months, and he is easily the best QB about to hit free agency after a career year and leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record.”
“Yes, his last two starts of the season were clunkers, but the USC product was fifth in the league in passing yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35).”
“However, Darnold's return to the team that drafted him third overall in 2018 isn't especially likely for a few reasons.”
“The first is that he probably isn't leaving the Twin Cities unless the Vikings trade him. The franchise tag for quarterbacks is expected to be $41.3 million. That's not an unreasonable amount for a contender to spend on insurance against McCarthy's knee.”
“Then there's the money. Whoever signs (or deals for) Darnold is going to be looking at a contract in the neighborhood of $40 million a season. That's going to be problematic for a Jets team with $21 million in cap space and a huge dead cap hit for Rodgers looming.”
“Reunions may make for good stories, but this one is highly unlikely.”
Darnold was 13-25 as a starter for the Jets. He threw for 8,097 yards to go along with 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions.
Now that Darnold has matured as an NFL QB, he’s become a winning player who could help New York get back to the playoffs in the Aaron Glenn era. Unfortunately, the Jets are too handicapped financially to plausibly be able to bring back Darnold while also attending to their various other roster needs.
