Don’t expect Sam Darnold to end up in Washington, D.C.
According to NFL Network’s Kim Jones and ESPN’s Diana Russini, the Washington Football Team is no longer interested in acquiring Darnold from the Jets after agreeing to a deal with free agent QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Athletic’s Connor Hughes said Washington could still be in play for Darnold, but he noted a deal is less likely with Fitzpatrick onboard.
Washington and Fitzpatrick agreed to a one-year deal worth $10 million on Monday. The team also re-signed Taylor Heinicke earlier this offseason, so the two are expected to compete for the starting job.
The Jets are still in the process of evaluating their options at quarterback. The easiest choice is to keep Darnold and hope the new coaching staff can get the most out of him. If the Jets don’t like that, they can trade Darnold and take a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. The third and final option could be to trade for a disgruntled veteran quarterback, such as Houston’s Deshaun Watson.
If the Jets decide to trade Darnold, they may have to do it sooner rather than later. Other teams can’t wait patiently for the Jets to decide on Darnold while figuring out their quarterback plans.
