Sam Darnold doesn't feel that the Jets failed him during his three years with the team. On the contrary, Darnold wishes that he would have played better for the franchise that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
While things didn't work out in New York, Darnold is enjoying a breakout season for the Vikings. Minnesota is 4-0 entering Sunday's game against the Jets, who split their first two games with four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers under center.
"No," Darnold said when asked about the Jets possibly failing him. "I think I had a lot of opportunities in New York. I always felt like I could have played better there."
Like a lot of young quarterbacks who don't have immediate success, there were factors outside Darnold's control that contributed to him and the team not meeting expectation. Injuries (both to Darnold and several other key player), unsuccessful draft picks, disappointing free agent acquisitions and subpar coaching were each contributing factors in Darnold winning just 34.2% of his games as the Jets' starting quarterback.
Darnold, too, contributed to the lack of success as he was a young player who was trying to find his way in the NFL. In hindsight, Darnold probably could have used a year or two watching instead of being thrown into the fire as a rookie.
Darnold had some success during his brief stint in Carolina, but like his Jets experience, the Panthers were also going through a transition that included a coaching change. He spent last year as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco and was slated to be the J.J. McCarthy's placeholder in Minnesota until the Vikings' rookie quarterback was ready to start.
That plan quickly changed when McCarthy sustained a season-ending injury prior to the start of the regular season. To say that Darnold has run with his unexpected opportunity would be a massive understatement. He enters Sunday's game as the league's leader in touchdown passes (11) and is the early front-runner for Comeback Player of the Year.
"I think he's doing a great job," said Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams said of his former teammate. "He's playing out of his mind right now, he's balling right now, he's doing a lot of great things. I was here with him for a couple of years. Super excited to go against him, it's gonna be a great challenge."