Darnold "has a very fair shot" of emerging as the Jets' starting quarterback for the regular-season opener Sept. 10 against the Lions, a source familiar with the situation informed Adam Schefter of ESPN.
After the Jets tabbed Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick in April, it was fully expected that he would start at some point in 2018. With the Jets re-signing Josh McCown and bringing in Teddy Bridgewater in free agency, however, the odds of Darnold contributing right away in the NFL seemed low heading into training camp. The 21-year-old rookie has apparently impressed even more than anticipated in his initial practices with the Jets and now apparently has a realistic opportunity to challenge the two veterans for the No. 1 gig during the preseason. Darnold's performance during the exhibition slate will ultimately dictate whether he opens his NFL career under center or on the sideline, but the organization's early optimism about the rookie during camp bodes well for his chances of getting a look early in the season, if not in Week 1.