No, the Jets keep should not keep Sam Darnold for another season

Sam Darnold shouldn’t return to the Jets, and any arguments to the contrary are illogical.

While the New York Jets fanbase was immediately irritated with the fact that their upset win against the Los Angeles Rams likely cost them a chance at Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, NFL logic would dictate that they will likely use the No. 2 pick on a top quarterback prospect like Ohio State’s Justin Fields or BYU’s Zach Wilson.

However, a significant portion of Jets fans want Sam Darnold, the former No. 3 overall pick who has been among the worst performers in every statistical category in his third season, to return for one more season. While Darnold was once a much-hyped prospect, he hasn’t put it all together, and Jets fans need to talk themselves out of keeping him around in 2021.

None of the arguments for keeping Sam Darnold make sense

Darnold, who has six touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 starts this season, has just 41 touchdowns and 37 picks in three years as a starter. Between the poor performance, looming second contract, and injuries that have forced him to miss 10 starts in three years, Darnold’s time in New York is up, and none of the hypothetical reasons for keeping him hold up upon further examination.

1. Justin Fields and Zach Wilson aren’t worthy of the No. 2 pick, as they shrink in big games

The problem with Lawrence is that he’s such a good prospect that any minor flaw on competing prospects looks like an inoperable tumor when compared to the nearly flawless Clemson product. Yes, Fields played poorly against Northwestern, as did Wilson against Coastal Carolina. Darnold was a turnover machine in his final year of college, a label both of these two avoided, and those flaws really showed against rivals like UCLA and elite teams like Ohio State.

Neither Wilson nor Fields is flawless, no prospect is. However, their arm strength, mobility, production, and accuracy deep down the field all scream “10-year starter.” Darnold might once have had those traits, but they have been beaten out of him. It’s time to start fresh.

2. Three years is too early to give up on Darnold

The Arizona Cardinals had to face this proposition when it came time to swap out Josh Rosen in favor of Kyler Murray, and they were proved right several times over when they ripped the Band-Aid off.

Darnold is in his third season as a starting quarterback. He went almost three months in between 200-yard passing games. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass in October or November. He has just three games with more touchdown passes than picks, one of those performances coming against the San Francisco 49ers when he cut a 31-6 lead to 31-13 on the final play of the game for the Jets. He has been the worst quarterback in the league this year, and he’s making mistakes he shouldn’t make in his third season.

3. Adam Gase ruins quarterbacks, so fire him and keep Darnold

Gase is the worst coach in the NFL, and the success of Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee is the most noteworthy story of former players who became stars as soon as they left Gase. However, the difference between Tannehill and Darnold is the fact that Tannehill was much better in Miami than Darnold has ever been in New York. Tannehill had two 4,000 yard seasons under his belt, and his 93.2 passer rating under Gase is much better than Darnold’s 78.8. That doesn’t give Darnold a high chance of having a Tannehill-like boom.

With or without Darnold, the Jets will be bad next year. However, Jets fans are trying to convince you that a 24-year-old, who will be on his third offensive scheme in four seasons, coming off a season in which he was the worst QB in the league is the best option for the team in terms of winning games.

4. Darnold needs a better offensive line

Jets fans wanted an entirely new offensive line heading into 2020. Joe Douglas replaced all five starters. Now Jets fans want more linemen, even pining for Penei Sewell as the. No. 2 pick despite the presence of Mekhi Becton. The Jets’ line is the farthest thing from the Great Wall of Dallas, but Becton looks like a stud, George Fant has performed well, and Connor McGovern is an average center. It’s not great, but not the main obstacle to success.

The Jets, who have Seattle’s first-round pick and what will be a very high second-round pick, need to get whoever is under center better skill position talent, using their cap space to sign a highly-touted offensive guard in free agency. Jets fans have moaned for years about Darnold’s lack of talent at receiver and running back, yet are pushing back against getting more help for their quarterback in the draft. Wrap your head around that.

5. If Darnold stinks, just draft a quarterback in 2022

The 2021 class is one of the best quarterback drafts in recent memory. Behind Lawrence, as many as five other prospects have legit chances of going in the first round, with the middle rounds also stocked full of talent.

2022 is a different story, as UNC’s Sam Howell and Iowa State’s Brock Purdy lead an uninspiring class. If Darnold flames out again (he will), the Jets will be right back where they started after next season.

6. A good head-coaching candidate wouldn’t want to come to a team that is essentially starting from scratch without the looming addition Trevor Lawrence

Yes, tons of turnover makes any job vacancy less attractive. You know what would REALLY make the Jets’ job unattractive? Mandating that this new coach try to turn the league’s worst starting quarterback into a Pro Bowl player. The only way to make this job desirable is giving new coaches the freedom to pick their own quarterback. Failing to do so will result in another Matt Rhule getting turned away in favor of Gase 2.0.

Joe Douglas wants to put his stamp on this team. Why hold on to an underperforming vestige from the Maccagnan era? With a good offensive coach and a promising young prospect acquired in 2021, the Jets could be set up for long-term success.

Darnold simply hasn’t worked in New York for a multitude of reasons, and the playoff drought will continue unless the Jets trade him away this offseason.