Vikings' Sam Darnold on failed Jets tenure: 'I could've played better'

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold might be the biggest story of the 2024 NFL season thus far. Now, Darnold is set to do battle with the team that drafted him with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Jets, across the pond on Sunday.

Darnold's time with the Jets lasted just three years (2018-20). When asked if he felt that the Jets "failed" him, Darnold replied "no" on Wednesday.

"I had a lot of opportunities in New York, and I always felt like I could've played better there," Darnold said.

Last week, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he believes "organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations" on "The Rich Eisen Show."

While he flashed upside at times throughout his stint with the Jets, Darnold underwhelmed with Gang Green. Across that three-year span, Darnold made a combined 38 starts, averaging 2,699 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 78.6 passer rating per season, while completing 59.8% of his passes.

New York originally traded the No. 6 pick and three second-round draft picks to get the No. 3 pick and ultimately select Darnold — who played at USC — in 2018. The Jets traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 for a second-, fourth- and sixth-round pick, while selecting BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick in that year's draft. The Jets traded Wilson and a seventh-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for a sixth-rounder in April.

Darnold spent two seasons with the Panthers (2021-22), with whom he started 17 games. He then spent 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers, serving as Brock Purdy's backup and starting in Week 18 as the team rested a handful of starters ahead of the playoffs. 

Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings in March. Minnesota also moved up one spot to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That said, McCarthy suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in August, which cemented Darnold's status as the Vikings' starting quarterback.

This season, Darnold has totaled 932 passing yards, an NFL-high 11 passing touchdowns, three interceptions and an NFL-high 118.9 passer rating, while completing 68.9% of his passes. He has also rushed for 50 yards. The Vikings are 4-0, one of just two NFL teams that remain unbeaten along with the back-to-back Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs.

As for Minnesota's Week 5 opponent, the Jets are 2-2 and in their first full season with Aaron Rodgers under center.

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