With the Jets off-season now underway with Robert Saleh in charge as head coach and his hired team, all eyes are on the quarterback.
What will the Jets do in the most important position? Will they stay with Sam Darnold for the fourth season and build around him? Will they make a monstrous move for Texas star Deshaun Watson? Will they choose Zach Wilson or Justin Fields with choice number 2 overall?
It is a fascinating storyline that will certainly have many twists and turns in the coming weeks and months. ESPN reported on Sunday that the Jets have been receiving calls from teams interested in negotiating for Darnold. It is not surprising that the teams are calling, but it is telling that the Jets are paying attention. In the middle of the 2019 season, general manager Joe Douglas said Darnold was untouchable. This no longer seems to be the case.
A source said the Jets are still undecided on what to do as a quarterback, with some people within the organization in favor of keeping Darnold and others believing it is time to move on.
If the Jets decide to trade Darnold, here are some teams that may be of interest:
Chicago Bears
The Jets may have to wait and see what happens to the Eagles and Carson Wentz before dealing with Darnold, if that’s what they decide to do. The Bears are supposedly interested in acquiring Wentz, but if the price is too high or if they are overcome by another team, they can turn their eyes to Darnold. Chicago is changing from Mitch Trubisky, who was drafted a year before Darnold. The Bears currently have Nick Foles on the list.
The price for Darnold’s numbers is much less than what the Eagles are asking Wentz (supposedly two first-round choices). Darnold is 23 years old and has a bad support cast. Someone out there will believe they can get more from him than the Jets.
There has been some speculation that the Jets could get a choice in the first round for Darnold, but a second round is more likely. The Bears choose 20th place in the first round. Douglas will probably have to create a bidding war to get that choice.
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis is the other team believed to be strong in the quest for Wentz. Colts coach Frank Reich is a former Eagles assistant and worked with Wentz in his first two years. Colts GM Chris Ballard is one of the best out there and can hesitate to spit out the kind of choice the Eagles are looking for.
It would be an interesting story if the Colts ended up negotiating with Darnold. Indianapolis exchanged the choice that the Jets used to bring Darnold to the team in 2018. The Jets obtained choice number 3 overall for three choices in the second round and choice number 6 overall in that year.
The Colts would be a good landing place for Darnold. He would benefit from Reich’s training as well as a strong defense and running game. He would also meet with former USC teammate Michael Pittman Jr.
The Colts have choice No. 21 of the draft.
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco appears to have a better quarterback situation than any other team on this list, with Jimmy Garoppolo returning from injury in 2021, but reports and rumors that San Francisco is interested in negotiating for a quarterback have not stopped. CBS reported over the weekend that 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is a fan of Darnold.
There is also an obvious connection between the teams now with Saleh training the Jets. This could create an exchange package that is not just about draft choices, but includes some lesser-known players that Saleh wants because of his familiarity with the list. The Jets made some deals like this with the Browns when former coach Eric Mangini was there.
Darnold would benefit from working with Shanahan, who is known as a great coach for defenders. The 49ers have 12th choice, which seems very rich for Darnold, but a second-round player along with a player that Saleh likes can do that.
Washington Football Team
The football team has a hole in the quarterback after Dwayne Haskins was eliminated. Alex Smith may be back, but he doesn’t have many years left and is not safe because of his injuries. Washington has choice 19, so this is a starting point that the Jets can ask for. Darnold could benefit from being in the same quarterback room as Smith, who was mentored by Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.