New York Jets: 3 Reasons Sam Darnold deal needs to happen immediately
By Dan Parzych
1. Jets would be wise to start Darnold in 2018
As mentioned before, there’s been some talk about how the Jets would end up going with McCown or Bridgewater during the 2018 season while Darnold spent the year learning from the veterans on the sidelines. But when looking at how the Jets have nothing to lose at this point since they aren’t really considered a playoff contender at the moment, going with Darnold isn’t the worst idea in the world.
Playing as a rookie may consist of some normal growing pains most players experience during their first NFL season, but the good news is that even if Darnold experienced some struggles under center, this could be used as a learning experience. Just look at how things turned out with Jared Goff after going 0-7 as a rookie in 2016, as the former No. 1 pick is coming off a strong sophomore campaign that resulted in him earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.
The circumstances may be completely different for Darnold on the Jets, but the point is Goff was able to use that early experience to his advantage later on to learn from some of his mistakes. New York has already made it clear they hope Darnold eventually turns into the franchise quarterback to help take this offense to a whole new level, and if the team were to decide to play him as a rookie, they would need him to gain as much practice as possible during training camp.