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As he gets a fresh start with the Carolina Panthers, quarterback Sam Darnold couldn't help but poke fun at himself and his literally rocky tenure with the New York Jets.
During his media availability on Wednesday, Darnold was asked if he needs to get hit in preseason practice to better gear him up for what's to come in the opener and in the 2021 season. In a rather amusing response that made reporters laugh, the 24-year-old joked that he's pretty much used to getting hit already anyway.
“Obviously, I have experience with it in the past, ya know, the last few years,” the Panthers signal-caller said jokingly, per Anthony Rizzuti of MSN.
Sure enough, Sam Darnold was talking about his sack-riddled tenure with the Jets. Throughout his three seasons with the team since being drafted third overall in 2018, the young QB endured 98 sacks in the regular season and an additional four during preseason games.
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With that said, it won't be surprising if Darnold really meant what he said instead of being a joke. Then again, he later acknowledged in the interview that getting hits in the preseason is truly crucial; however, he is leaving the decision making to Panthers head coach Matt Rhule.
“I mean, that’s a fair question. It is important to a certain extent to be able to feel that before the season gets going. But, again, like I said, it’s up to Coach [Matt] Rhule,” Darnold added.
Whether or not he gets more hits in preseason practice, it looks like Darnold is hopeful that his tenure with the Panthers won't be filled with sacks like his time in New York.
