Will he stay or will he go?
That’s the question regarding New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold.
The No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is on the trade block and could find himself changing uniforms for the 2021 season. Per SI’s Albert Breer:
The Jets have taken calls, and haven’t seemed to be in any particular rush to move their 23-year-old former first-rounder. No one’s blown them away. … At this point, eight teams have called the Jets about Darnold with varying levels of interest. … As for teams to watch, three in particular are interesting to me: Chicago, San Francisco and Washington.
Breer reports the Jets want to watch the Pro Days of the top quarterback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft before deciding on Darnold.
If the Jets dump Darnold, they would most likely look to use the No. 2 pick overall on a new franchise quarterback. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving BYU’s Zach Wilson, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance on the Jets’ draft board.
Here are their workout dates, per Breer:
- Trey Lance – March 12
- Zach Wilson – March 26
- Justin Fields – March 31
If the Jets really are set on watching the top prospects throw, it’s possible general manager Joe Douglas doesn’t decide Darnold’s fate until April. The 2021 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 29.
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