Adam Gase and the Jets are not giving up on Sam Darnold after his disappointing return to action on Sunday against the Dolphins.
Darnold, in his first game back from a shoulder injury, didn’t play any differently than he has in the past. He made some nice throws at times, but also made some head-scratching decisions that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him. Overall, Darnold was 16-27 for 197 yards to go along with two interceptions and a 51 quarterback rating.
When asked if he has considered benching Darnold, Gase put that idea to rest.
“Sam is the starter and we need Sam to play as many snaps as possible,” the coach said, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
The Jets offense looked better in its previous two games with Joe Flacco under center, but he won’t be taking the reigns again unless Darnold suffers another injury.
These next five games are an evaluation period for Darnold to see if he can still be the Jets’ franchise quarterback. So far in Darnold’s career, he has yet to prove that he can be, and the Jets are currently in control of the No. 1 pick in the draft, which would surely be Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence.
Darnold also needs to be on the field for the rest of the season if the Jets want to trade him during the offseason. If New York plans on drafting Lawrence or another quarterback, it will look to flip Darnold elsewhere.
Darnold playing well would increase his trade value and give the Jets some extra draft capital to work with. By not playing Darnold at all, it tells other teams that the Jets are afraid that his value will drop — and that they don’t believe he’s all that good.
Gase and the Jets, however, have no plans of going in that direction.
