New York Jets: Don’t call Sam Darnold a franchise quarterback yet
By Alex Jordan
After New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold made his debut Monday night, people want to call him a franchise quarterback. However, it’s too early to call him that.
Monday night saw the highly anticipated debut of New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold. After the Jets beat the Detroit Lions Monday night, people started getting overly hyped about Darnold and started calling him the Jets’ savior and a franchise quarterback.
On Tuesday, the headline on the back page of the New York Post was “INSAMITY.”
On Wednesday, the New York Daily News headline on the back page called Darnold “B’WAY SAM.”
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Now, Jets head coach Todd Bowles thinks that people shouldn’t get overhyped about Darnold.
Here’s what Bowles said after Monday night’s game, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com:
"“We won one game, I can tell you after about 100 more of them whether we have one or not, right now it’s a little early. Obviously, [we’re] starting him, he can play the position. He’s got to go through some things like he will every week, every week will be different for him just like everybody else on the team that’s young. You grow with the position, he’s not green he’s very sharp, he handles himself very well and I trust him to make adjustments as he goes.”"
I agree with Bowles that no one should be calling Darnold a franchise quarterback or the Jets savior just yet.
He has only played one game and won, but calling him a franchise quarterback or the Jets savior is like saying Kevin Knox is the face of the New York Knicks after just one game. It doesn’t make any sense.
While Darnold is expected to be a star, there is no guarantees that he will be successful. Jets fans know what its like to have a quarterback with high expectations not succeed.
In 2009, Mark Sanchez started his rookie season 3-0 and started in four playoff games in his first two seasons, then didn’t have any more success.
In 2013, Geno Smith won his first game and was on the bench two years later. Now, Smith is a backup for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Darnold, who completed 16 of his last 20 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns Monday night, told Al Iannazzone of Newsday that he doesn’t pay attention to the hype that surrounds him.
"“I haven’t been paying that much attention. I’m sure people have been talking about how good they expect our team to be in the next few years and all that. I’m just going to continue to focus on the next game. That’s all I can control. That’s how I’m going to be every single week.”"
I think that Darnold can become a franchise quarterback. He has the potential and the right mind-set to do so.
If he can continue to get better and be as successful as we think he will be, then he will be a franchise quarterback and the Jets could possibly win a Super Bowl in the near future.
So Jets fans, don’t call Sam Darnold a franchise quarterback or the Jets savior because he isn’t either one of those.
Next. David Wright means so much more than baseball. dark
Not yet at least.