How good can Sam Darnold be this season?

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold was not perfect but was efficient to get the job done in Week 5. How good could he be throughout the rest of the season.

Quarterback Sam Darnold has been inconsistent so far during the regular season. However, his last game against the Denver Broncos made some fans excited about his talents as a potentially great quarterback in the future. The question is should we put our hope in him so soon? That puzzle started even before the Jets were beaten by Cleveland Browns in Week 4.

Facing the Broncos, the boy from Capistrano Beach threw for 198 yards and notched three touchdowns. It was not something brilliant, but his long touchdown pass to Robby Anderson showed how good he could be when it comes to his ability to throw deep.

His potential to be a legend for the Jets is absolutely there and it continues to grow the more he plays under center. Against Denver, Darnold put on a stellar performance that got fans pretty excited about what he brings to the table. Patience is key in his development that it’s important to remember that there will be growing pains all season long.

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Darnold’s numbers this season haven’t been great but it’s all about the learning process. He’s good but he’s not great at this point in time. How good can Darnold be this season? Unfortunately, there is only so much for him to accomplish since the Jets still have many areas to fix on the roster.

It would be unfair to compare him with Patrick Mahomes as he is already looking like an NFL prodigy. Even more unfair is expecting too much from him this season. It is normal for a rookie to learn and gain experience slowly so don’t expect him to put up Mahomes-like numbers towards the second half of the season.

Jets fans have many reasons to start loving Darnold and feel free to do it since he’s being molded to be their future franchise quarterback for many years to come. Nevertheless, do not be frustrated if he does not meet his full potential this year.

Being even more realistic, the Jets aren’t a playoff-caliber team by any stretch of the imagination. Putting playoff expectations on Darnold isn’t good since it’s his first season in the pros and the Jets have a lot of work to do next offseason to build such a supportive team around him. For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride with Darnold under center. Just don’t expect him to lead the Jets to the playoffs and straight through to Super Bowl LIII.