Sam Darnold has taken it upon himself to be a bigger influence on his teammates in 2019.
Darnold spoke to the media Tuesday at the Jets’ first day of voluntary minicamp and said he “definitely” wants to lead the team more this season than he did last season. However, he wants to go about it in his own way.
When Darnold says he wants to lead in his own way, he means that he wants to lead by example. Darnold isn’t the most vocal player on the Jets, but his work ethic speaks for itself. His teammates made note of that repeatedly in 2018; expect more of the same in Darnold’s sophomore season.
Darnold knows as this team’s quarterback that it’s ultimately on him to lead the troops. He’s the most important player the Jets have had since Mark Sanchez was the quarterback. There’s a ton of pressure on him to get this team not only back to the playoffs, but to a Super Bowl as well.
It’s great to see Darnold learning from somebody like Jamal Adams, who is undoubtedly the leader of the defense. Darnold said he was going to play more of a role in recruiting with Adams during free agency. With Adams taking care of the defense, it’s Darnold’s turn to take command of the offense.
