The Jets were sold on selecting Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick early in the pre-draft process. Between his natural fit in Mike LaFleur’s offense and his impressive skill set, Wilson profiled as a potential franchise quarterback from the jump.
New York was not as sold on dumping Sam Darnold, though. In fact, the Jets were prepared to keep him alongside Wilson, according to Robert Saleh.
Saleh said Thursday that the decision to trade Darnold to Carolina came only after Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer made Joe Douglas an offer he could not refuse — a 2021 sixth-round pick and 2022 second- and fourth-round picks. Had Fitterer not made an offer to New York’s liking, there is a chance Darnold is still with the Jets to do this day.
The Jets having an inkling of desire to keep Darnold under their new regime makes sense despite the USC product’s struggles in three seasons with the team. Darnold never had much of a chance to succeed with a putrid offensive line, no legitimate weapons at wide receiver, and not much of a rushing attack to lean on. The coaches in place didn’t help either.
The one weapon Darnold did have, Robby Anderson, was grossly misused by Adam Gase. The quarterback and receiver are now reunited in Carolina.
LaFleur’s west coast offense is also one Darnold could have fit in. Scheme fit played a major part in the Panthers’ push to land Darnold, as Joe Brady’s offense is predicated on crafting high-percentage throws and getting the ball out quickly. Darnold could have succeeded under similar circumstances with the Jets.
Darnold and Wilson sharing the quarterback room at One Jets Drive would have made for an interesting dynamic — and possibly a media circus — throughout the offseason. Darnold was the ultimate team player throughout his tenure with New York, making it likely he would have done everything in his power to help Wilson adjust to the NFL while also pushing him for the starting job. Having Darnold around during training camp and the preseason might have brought out the best in Wilson.
Nonetheless, the Jets and the Panthers are set to begin new journeys with new quarterbacks when they meet in Week 1. New York loves Wilson’s potential and Carolina is smitten with Darnold so far. Time will tell if the Jets made the right decision rolling with Wilson instead of giving Darnold a clean slate, but right now, both teams are happy with the way things played out this offseason.
“He’s doing his own thing now,” Wilson said. “He’s got a great situation going for him. I think the organization already decided to go one way and it’s not because Sam isn’t a good football player. It’s just that they wanted a fresh start.”
