A lot is expected of Sam Darnold in 2019, but don’t peg the Jets quarterback as a favorite for any major hardware.
Darnold is more than a longshot to be named the league’s MVP, according to Ceasars Palace, which has the rising sophomore at 75/1 odds to win the award in 2019.
While Darnold had some horrid games as a rookie, those came with the price of growing pains. From Weeks 14-17, Darnold held the highest QBR in the NFL. Pro Football Focus graded Darnold’s performance against the Houston Texans as the best quarterback performances among active players in Week 15.
While Darnold’s back is against the wall, learning his second offense in as many seasons, there are few better coaches than Adam Gase when it comes to working with quarterbacks. Darnold has another year to gain rapport with Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa and Chris Herndon, as well as added reinforcements in Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder.
An MVP type season is certainly a stretch of the imagination, as Darnold would need a massive turnaround to be considered among the league’s best throwers. However, it is certainly not impossible. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes won an MVP in his first full season and rather than having fresh playing experience his first NFL season, he sat behind Alex Smith for a year.
Darnold was thrown into the fire as one of the youngest quarterbacks in NFL history. The Jets are not expecting an MVP season and neither are the oddsmakers, but an improvement is most certainly in the cards.
