Jets get it right with starting Sam Darnold in 2018

The New York Jets officially named rookie quarterback Sam Darnold as their starter to begin the regular season. They got it right with the most important position on the team.

The regular season is finally upon us. For months now, the New York Jets have had an open competition at quarterback. Starting off, it consisted of Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, and rookie quarterback Sam Darnold.

It was a good competition that saw the Jets finally have a good situation on their hands at quarterback. Not only did Darnold impress early and often, but he progressed rather quickly with every passing week. Darnold mastered the offensive playbook and executed well above the expectations of players and the coaching staff.

Head coach Todd Bowles kept trying to avoid saying the inevitable when it came to who would be his starting quarterback in Week 1 on the road against the Detroit Lions. Once he revealed it would be Darnold, in the grand scheme of things, it was the right decision.

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It’s been a very long time since the Jets started the regular season with a rookie quarterback that has the talent to deliver big results. No offense to McCown, but he’s been a journeyman backup and is better served in a mentoring role.

The time is now for Darnold to push the Jets into greater heights one week at a time. Even if this upcoming season ends up being another losing one, the most important thing for Darnold is to continue his growth into a future franchise quarterback.

With Darnold under center to begin his rookie season sooner than expected, this is the right move for a franchise that needs to create an identity. Such an identity that it helps build the Jets back into a winning football team and better represent the city that never sleeps. It might not happen in 2018 but the foundation is almost there for some serious runs in 2019 and beyond.