NY Jets: Mark Sanchez says Sam Darnold needs to get out of New York

NY Jets‘ quarterback Sam Darnold faces an uncertain future in New York amidst an offseason of rumors about his potential departure. Seemingly everyone has an opinion on what’s best for the Jets.

But one former Jets player has an opinion on what’s best for the other party involved.

Former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez recently commented on Darnold’s future when he joined ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday. And he laid out what he believed was the best scenario for Darnold.

Sanchez spoke about how, if Darnold fails in his fourth year in the NFL, the backlash would be immense. He pleaded with the Jets to “get him out of there.”

“As soon as he goes three-and-out two times this year, his a– is getting booed out of the stadium. It’s not fair to the kid. They gotta do something fast to get him out of there.”

Sam Darnold’s future with the NY Jets is uncertain

Sanchez is right. If the Jets were to pass on upgrading at the quarterback position this offseason, putting all their eggs in the Darnold basket, and he failed again, the potential backlash from the fanbase would be colossal.

After a somewhat promising first two seasons, hopes were high that Darnold would take a major leap forward in Year 3. Unfortunately, quite the opposite happened.

Darnold regressed significantly and put together the worst year of his career finishing with just nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games. He completed under 60 percent of his passes and averaged just 6.1 yards per attempt.

Darnold was, by pretty much every metric, the worst starting quarterback in football last year. And statically, he’s been the worst starter over the past three years combined.

At just 23-years-old, there are reasons to believe he still has untapped potential. And it’s impossible to argue that the situation he’s placed in hasn’t stunted his growth.

But the Jets have a golden opportunity to upgrade at the quarterback position and possibly restart the rookie contract clock that is so valuable in today’s NFL. With the No. 2 overall pick in a stacked quarterback class, it’s an opportunity they’re likely to take.

Unless, of course, they could swindle a trade for superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Either way, it seems as though Darnold’s time in New York is running thin. Rumors continue to run rampant about his eventual departure and it would be a surprise, at this point, if the Jets were to retain Darnold for another year.

And as Sanchez insists, that’s probably in the best interest of both parties involved.