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While the New York Jets look to chart a path forward under new head coach Robert Saleh, determining the fate of the quarterback position will be among the biggest decisions the team will have to make.
The Jets intend to evaluate the available quarterbacks in the draft before making a call on Sam Darnold, but Jets running back La’Mical Perine hopes the team doesn’t change course.
In an appearance on the NFL Network, Perine said he wants Darnold to remain the team’s starting quarterback.
“No disrespect to any of the quarterbacks that’s in the draft, but I actually had a chance to play with Sam and was able to be in the backfield with him, so I know what he brings to the team,” Perine said. “He’s a great leader, man. We’ve just got to put good weapons around him, and he can very well succeed and be one of the top quarterbacks in this league.”
Darnold hasn’t had a great supporting cast around him with the Jets during his first three seasons in the NFL. The Jets have gone 13-25 in 38 games with Darnold as the starter. For his career, he’s completing just 59.8 percent of his passes with 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. But that’s record isn’t all attributable to Darnold given the struggles of the Jets at large.
Perine has just one season playing alongside Darnold and the Jets weathered a 1-15 campaign that saw them begin the season 0-13 before back-to-back wins against the Los Angeles Rams and a COVID-stricken Cleveland Browns team. Through the losing, Perine was impressed by the way Darnold led the team and handled the circumstances.
“He’s a great vocal leader, he’s a great guy to be around, he’s competitive, and I’m ready to look forward to him,” Perine said. “I hope he’s on our team this year being my starting quarterback.”
