Tom Brady celebrated his 42nd birthday over the weekend, and one person he didn't get any well-wishes from was New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold.
According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Darnold was asked to participate in a birthday video for Brady that was being produced with players from around the league, but he declined.
When asked about it this week at Jets camp, Darnold emphasized that it wasn't a slight or meant to be disrespectful, and he explained that it was for competitive reasons.
“That’s just it, man – knowing what I’ve got to do,” Darnold said. “I’m going to get every competitive edge I can, because he’s going to do the same thing. He’s the ultimate competitor. He’s exactly where I want to be when I’m his age. To chase that, I can’t be giving him anything.”
Darnold is only entering his second year in the league, but he already has the NFL's competitive nature down.
“For sure [that would have been giving Brady something],” Darnold said. “If I see him after a game, I’ll tell him good game and all that stuff. But I don’t want to give him anything. Especially to him. No.”
Darnold's respectful but sharp comments are sure to be music to the ears of Jets fans. The Patriots have been dominant in the AFC East for so long, and Darnold knows he isn't going to change that by playing nice.
The Jets have needed someone with some fire and passion for a long time, and it sounds like they've got it in Darnold. The move apparently delighted his new head coach Adam Gase.
Robinson writes that when he was informed, “the coach lit up with a smile and asked, ‘Sam was the only one who didn’t do it?'”
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