New York Jets fans are hoping that Sam Darnold will be the quarterback that finally allows them to dethrone the New England Patriots in the AFC East, but the former USC star is not ready to make any promises heading into his second NFL season. Like many of us, New England’s unprecedented dominance is all Darnold really knows.
With the Jets having made big additions on both sides of the ball highlighted by the signings of running back Le’Veon Bell and linebacker CJ Mosley, expectations have been reset. When asked this week if he is finally ready to steal the AFC East away from Tom Brady and company, Darnold had a great response.
“I’m just going to go out and do my best. I feel like literally in my lifetime, the Patriots have ended up on top,” he said, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “So, I’m just going to go out there and do my job. I’m never counting anyone out, honestly. Not just the Patriots, but every team that we play in the league.”
Darnold has been alive for 22 NFL seasons, and the Patriots have won the AFC East in 17 of those. They’ve also had 20 winning seasons during that span, been to the Super Bowl nine times and won six championships. What Darnold said isn’t really an exaggeration when you actually look at the resume.
It’s possible that Tom Brady has already laid out the timeline for when the Jets will have a chance to win the AFC East again. But if the four-time Super Bowl MVP finally starts showing signs of aging, Darnold and the Jets had better be prepared to pounce.
