Probably one of the saddest stories unfolding right now in the NFL is the one with Sam Darnold. This kid had the look of a superstar when he emerged out of USC. Everything about him shined from the physical talent to the natural playmaking instincts to his charisma as a leader. He looked like a franchise quarterback in waiting. How could anybody screw up by drafting him?
Well, as has proven the case too many times the New York Jets found a way. They selected Darnold 5th overall in 2018 and proceeded to ruin him with a series of disastrous moves. Chief among them? Hiring Adam Gase as head coach and waiting far too long to invest in the offensive line. They didn’t draft a blocker in the top three rounds until this offseason, Darnold’s third. He’s been sacked 82 times in 32 games.
As for Gase?
People proclaimed him an offensive genius back in the early 2010s thanks to his association with Peyton Manning in Denver. Since then, people have become wise to how ill-equipped he is to develop quarterbacks. Just look at Ryan Tannehill. He wasn’t much of anything under Gase for three years in Miami. Now he’s playing like an All-Pro in Tennessee.
With the Jets a near shoo-in for the #1 pick and the rights to Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, most believe Darnold will be gone from there next offseason. It’s a matter of figuring out where he might try to jumpstart his career as Tannehill did. Marc Sessler of NFL.com sees one team as the perfect landing spot.
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“Chicago Bears: Sam Darnold — If ever a quarterback needed a fresh start. This just feels like a Bears move. I like the fit, assuming Chicago harbors the courage to start over with an offensive coaching staff committed to not making our eyes bleed.”
Sam Darnold actually would be a classic Bears move
Taking a gamble on a castoff from another team is kind of their thing. They traded 1st round picks for Mike Phipps in the late ’70s and Rick Mirer in 1997. They traded for Jay Cutler in 2009, signed Jason Campbell in 2012, and actually tried to sign Teddy Bridgewater this past offseason before settling on Nick Foles. What Sessler is saying hits the nail on the head. This would 100% be a Bears move.
So the question becomes is that idea even worth it? Darnold has 39 TD passes and 34 interceptions in his career to this point. His tendency to turn the ball over is something that followed him out of college. He’s also now dealing with an injury to his throwing shoulder. Something that is never a good thing. It’s fair to wonder if all the hits and the losing has shattered his confidence.
There is some intrigue though.
Darnold is just 23-years old. He’s still exceedingly young and has plenty of time to get his career turned around. His talent is still there. Every so often he’ll deliver a throw during games that can drop jaws. It becomes a matter of can the Bears put a coaching staff and system in place that can take advantage of what he does best?
That would not be a task Matt Nagy and his staff is up to. They’ve proven that with their consistent inability to maximize Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles. So it would take a new regime. If history proves anything, Chicago can’t be trusted to get something like that right. Then again there’s a first time for everything.