Sam Darnold has turned into a legitimate NFL MVP candidate four years after the New York Jets gave up on him, but the quarterback does not want to rub the success in the face of his former team.
Darnold has been arguably the best quarterback in the NFL through the first four games of the season. He has 932 yards passing and a league-best 11 touchdowns compared to just 2 interceptions. The Minnesota Vikings are 4-0, and Darnold’s outstanding play is a big reason for that.
With the Vikings getting set to host the Jets in Week 5, Darnold was asked on Wednesday if he feels his former team “failed you in any way.” Darnold took the high road.
“Um, no, I think I had a lot of opportunities in New York. I always felt like I could have played better there,” Darnold said.
"I had a lot of opportunities in New York, I always felt like I could've played better there"
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 3, 2024
Sam Darnold on his time with the Jets: pic.twitter.com/gq1gYKnKnC
The Jets have a horrible track record of developing quarterbacks over the past decade-plus. Darnold, who was drafted third overall by New York in 2018, is one of a handful of young quarterbacks who were unable to produce with the Jets. Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, and Zach Wilson were also high draft picks in New York, and all had very brief careers with the team.
Even if Darnold feels the Jets did him no favors, he is now in a position where he can let his play do the talking. One of the greatest coaches of all time recently took a shot at the Jets over their handling of Darnold, so the 27-year-old has the luxury of being able to sit back and let others trash his former team on his behalf.
