Prior to the 2017 NFL Draft, the New York Jets moved up to the third overall pick where they wound up being able to snag former USC quarterback Sam Darnold at the selection. It has put in place a promising young talent at the position that the team hasn't had in quite some time that could become a franchise cornerstone player.
This has also put Darnold in the picture to potentially grab the starting spot for the 2018 campaign due to the open competition at the position. During an interview with The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday morning, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan acknowledged that the 20-year-old has a chance to secure the starting job in training camp.
“Nothing's been predetermined one way or another,” Maccagnan said. “There's a chance for anything on the table. Nothing's been sort of set in stone in terms of how we're going to do this in terms of a firm time frame. But he's going to have every opportunity and we'll see how it develops going forward.”
Darnold will have plenty of competition for that vaunted starting job alongside Josh McCown, Bryce Petty and possibly Teddy Bridgewater. This will most likely come down to whether he can edge out McCown, who was the starter last season prior to breaking his hand land late in the regular season.
There is no rush to throw Darnold in the starting lineup, but the situation could easily pan out to show that he is their best talent at the position that deserves a shot at that gig from the outset of his NFL career. The Jets clearly have much invested in him and want to handle this situation the best way they possibly can.
The ball is in Darnold's hands to show either that he is ready for the starting role or needs some time to adjust before he is given that prestigious opportunity. Either way, New York wants to make a sound decision with their promising quarterback.
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