Mark Sanchez wants the Jets to do right by Sam Darnold and give him a fresh start elsewhere.
Sanchez appeared on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday and discussed Darnold’s future with the Jets. Sanchez believes Darnold is a “more than capable” quarterback and attributes his lack of success in New York to the absence of a supporting cast. As a result, Sanchez thinks the Jets should trade Darnold to a team that is more quarterback-friendly.
“They gotta do something fast to get him out of there,” Sanchez said.
If the Jets hold onto Darnold, Sanchez thinks he will be put in an impossible situation next season to make plays with no playmakers surrounding him.
“As soon as he goes 3-and-out two times this year, his [expletive] is getting booed out of the stadium,” Sanchez said. “It’s not fair to the kid.”
Sanchez would know better than anyone about getting run out of New York. After reaching the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons, Sanchez struggled as his supporting cast crumbled. Meanwhile, he quickly fell out of favor with fans. Sanchez ended up only playing two more seasons with the Jets. He was released after missing the 2013 season because of a shoulder injury.
The difference in Darnold’s situation is that he’s never had a strong supporting cast in the three years he’s been a Jet. The Jets’ offense has been one of the worst over the last three years, while the receiving corps has been extremely underwhelming. Sanchez was drafted onto a playoff-ready team and had a great offensive line and talented skill players around him for a few seasons.
The Jets are currently in the process of deciding whether to keep Darnold or trade him. That decision likely won’t come until the Jets finish their scouting on some of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft.
Sanchez has made his stance pretty clear. He thinks it would be in Darnold’s best interest to play anywhere but New York in 2021.
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