Sam Darnold missed some time at the start of training camp while the details of his contract were being ironed out, but that has reportedly done nothing to hurt his chances of potentially starting in Week 1.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Darnold has a “very fair shot” of being under center for the New York Jets when the regular season begins.
Sam Darnold “has a very fair shot” of winning Jets’ starting QB job for regular-season opener, per sources. He has to keep progressing, preseason will be critical, and he probably is a year away, when he turns 22. But Jets love what they see and he has a legit chance to win job.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 6, 2018
The Jets are holding a legitimate competition with veterans Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater also in the mix, and they already know what the former is capable of. The latter is still trying to prove he can be the same quarterback he was before his devastating knee injury two years ago, and there have been reports that he has also been impressive this offseason.
Darnold is said to be blowing the Jets away with his work ethic, but the last thing they want to do is throw yet another young quarterback into the fire too early. They’ve made that mistake several times in past years, so they have to be certain that Darnold is ready to start before giving him the job. If the former USC star starts in Week 1 and struggles for several games, it could potentially hurt his confidence permanently.
