NY Jets might only get a third-round pick for Sam Darnold, per report

The NY Jets are just a month out from the start of the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s approaching quickly, but not quick enough for those who are growing tired of the Sam Darnold debate.

Expect the headlines over the next few weeks, or until something happens, to focus solely on Darnold and the Jets’ plan for both the No. 2 overall pick and the quarterback position.

On Monday, ESPN’s Kimberley Martin spoke about Darnold’s trade value and how it appears to be sinking. She noted that she spoke with three NFL general managers and asked what they’d be willing to give up for Darnold.

The answers won’t make many Jets fans very happy.

The NY Jets might only get a third-round pick back for Sam Darnold

Two of the general managers responded that they’d give up no more than a third-round pick, with one of them saying that a late-third was even “a little rich.” The third said that they’d “maybe” give up a third or a conditional fourth.

Clearly we’ve come a long way from the rumors that Darnold could go for something as high as a late first-round pick.

Darnold’s trade value has seemingly fallen over the past few weeks with more and more teams finding their solutions in free agency or through the trade market. As many as eight teams were at one point interested.

Now, the Jets will be lucky if there are more than two or three.

The Indianapolis Colts found their 2021 starter in Carson Wentz. The San Francisco 49ers have seemingly hinted at their desire to draft a quarterback after trading up to the third overall pick. Even the Chicago Bears could have landed their starter in Andy Dalton.

Options are running out for both Darnold and the Jets.

It’s also important to consider that maybe the media is just much higher on Darnold than the actual NFL is. Darnold’s soon-to-expire contract and his absolute mess of a 2020 season are both reasons that Martin cited as cause for hesitance.

Essentially, the exact reasons the Jets are likely to move on, other teams see as well.

Darnold finds himself in an unenviable position. He’s likely to be traded, but to where? And what type of opportunity will he be given once he gets to his new team?

And for the Jets, they’ll likely have to settle for whatever draft capital they could receive in return at this point. It isn’t ideal, but it’s the situation they find themselves in.

Either way, in a month from now, none of this will matter. But for the next few weeks, expect to hear plenty of noise about Darnold’s future and the Jets’ plans.