New York Jets: Three Goals for Sam Darnold in 2020

Sam Darnold is the New York Jets’ quarterback of the future, and that has been made clear by Joe Douglas and Adam Gase, but in 2020 Darnold needs to prove he’s worthy of that title.

The New York Jets have spent the entire offseason building around franchise quarterback Sam Darnold. General manager Joe Douglas has surrounded his young signal-caller with weapons in both free agency and the NFL Draft, confident in his quarterback to take a huge leap in his upcoming 3rd season.

This starts with the offensive line, as the Jets have almost completely changed their starters in the trenches. Former Denver Broncos center Connor McGovern and former Seattle Seahawks tackle George Fant should provide an immediate upgrade, while 11th overall pick Mekhi Becton ensures that protection will be much better than last year.

Sam Darnold should also benefit from the wisdom of new backup quarterback Joe Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP who owns a career 10-5 record in the playoffs. At 35 years old, he’s been around the league and should help Darnold stay sharp throughout 16 games.

While Darnold likely won’t be entering the MVP conversation in 2020, fans are still expecting an improvement from his injury-plagued 2019 campaign. If he can bring his game to the next level, a playoff appearance may very well be in store. But first, he’s going to need to step up his game in the regular season.

Here are three attainable goals that Sam Darnold should look to reach by the end of his third NFL season.