The New York Jets managed to find their franchise quarterback, Sam Darnold, in the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite his promise, he still has a long way to go before he reaches his full potential.

Sam Darnold struggled mightily with taking care of the ball in his rookie year. According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, one general manager feels this should be a point of emphasis for him:

“He has to fix his penchant for the turnovers,” a GM said. “He did it in college; he did it as a rookie. He is a great kid. He is really young. He has a chance to do it, but until he takes care of that issue, I think that will always haunt him a little bit.”

An anonymous coordinator added that he will soon be a “tier 1” quarterback if he learns to take care of the ball.

“I love him,” an offensive coordinator said. “He is a 3 that is going to be a 2, and if he learns not to turn the ball over, he will be a 1 at some point.”

There is certainly plenty of truth to these comments. Sam Darnold threw 15 interceptions as a rookie, which tied for second-most in the NFL last season.

Darnold's struggles with turnovers can be attributed to a combination of both the confidence he has in his arm talent and the lackluster support surrounding him. Fortunately, the arrival of running back Le'Veon Bell should help take some of the pressure off his shoulders. It will be interesting to see how Darnold fares with a more balanced approach on offense.