Not all breakups are created equal.
Some are ugly, with one party still hanging on when everyone else knows it’s over. Others are more mutual as the sides recognize that the spark is gone. Sam Darnold and the New York Jets fall into the latter, having gone through a breakup that didn’t require a restraining order attached to it.
Darnold had to go elsewhere to find success, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still look back on his time with the Jets fondly. During an event at a Raising Canes in Seattle on Feb. 10, Darnold was asked about his message to the Jets fans who continue to support him.
‘That’s all you can ask for as a player is to feel supported, especially by the team that drafted you,’ Darnold said, via FanSided’s Justin Fried.
‘I always look at myself and feel like I could’ve done a lot more for that franchise.”
Darnold only lasted three seasons with the Jets after the team selected him with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He led the team to a 13-25 record in 38 starts, tossing 45 touchdowns to 39 interceptions. Since New York owned the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jets opted to move on and select Zach Wilson.
It was a move that reset the rookie quarterback contract window and aligned Wilson with the team’s new coaching staff, led by Robert Saleh.
Darnold was traded to the Carolina Panthers that offseason, where he spent two seasons before becoming a backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. After a breakout year for the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold signed with the Seahawks in free agency last offseason.
The quarterback proved the breakout was no fluke, leading Seattle to a 14-3 regular season record and a win in Super Bowl 60 – the second Super Bowl win in franchise history.
While Darnold is experiencing plenty of success with his new team, the Jets remain mired in mediocrity and searching for an answer at quarterback. Despite that reality, Jets fans still showed plenty of support for their former signal-caller in the Super Bowl.
“The fact that [Jets fans] are able to support me even through that means a lot,” Darnold said.