3 realistic Sam Darnold trades the Steelers need to offer

Sam Darnold is just the sort of young, veteran quarterback the Steelers need to acquire. Here’s how Pittsburgh can pry him away from the Jets. 

Ben Roethlisberger’s era presiding over the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense is quickly coming to an end. That leaves the franchise in need of a new quarterback to build around. Swinging a deal for Sam Darnold makes a lot of sense for Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff.

Of course, the Jets have to be convinced that parting with Darnold is in their best interest. At the moment, team officials in New York haven’t “made any firm decisions” about the signal-caller’s future. At least, that’s what they’re telling the media.

The odds still favor Darnold getting dealt and Pittsburgh should be at the front of the line. Here’s how the Steelers can swing a deal for their quarterback of the future.

3. Straight up for the No. 24 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft

The recent trade sending Matthew Stafford from Detroit to LA will embolden the Jets to ask for more than a single first rounder in return for Darnold. That doesn’t mean the Steelers should give in to that request.

An immediate first round selection seems like a fair return for a quarterback that’s failed to live up to his own draft hype. Darnold is still an intriguing talent but he doesn’t have a track record of NFL success to boost his trade value. Pittsburgh needs to remember that when they engage the Jets in discussions.

The Steelers might need to sweeten the offer with a conditional pick in next year’s draft, but that should be tied to lofty incentives based on Darnold’s individual statistics. If Pittsburgh drives a hard bargain in negotiations they might be able to get away with parting with one premium draft asset to take Darnold off New York’s hands.