Sam Darnold and 8 former NY Jets in Super Bowl LVIII

The NY Jets' hopes of making it to Super Bowl LVIII may have come crashing down when Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles just four plays into the 2023 season, but a handful of former team members will be representing the team in Las Vegas.

The Jets may not be making the trip out west to take on the San Francisco 49ers, but these eight players/coaches were once members of the organization.

Some are notable former Jets, whose time with the team will be remembered by many. Others didn't make much of an impact during their time in New York but still deserve to be mentioned.

Here are eight former Jets who will be representing their former team in the Super Bowl today.

8. Dave Merritt, DB coach, Chiefs

We start with a pair of former Jets coaches. Dave Merritt has been the Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach since 2019 and will actually be gunning for his fifth Super Bowl ring this evening.

Merritt has won two rings as a member of the Chiefs and won two others during his time as the secondary/safeties coach of the New York Giants. Prior to his stint with the Giants, Merritt spent three years with the Jets as a defensive assistant and the team's linebackers coach between 2001

7. Anthony Lynn, assistant HC/RBs coach, 49ers

One of only two former Jets on the 49ers, Anthony Lynn was a member of the Jets' organization from 2009 to 2014, serving as the team's running backs coach and later assistant head coach.

Lynn is most well-known for his time as the Los Angeles Chargers head coach from 2017-2020. He's been the assistant head coach and running backs coach of the 49ers since 2022.

6. Izaiah Gathings, TE, Chiefs

Izaiah Gathings had a blinck-and-you'll-miss-it stint with the Jets over the summer. The Jets signed the Middle Tennessee State product to a contract following a successful tryout at the team's rookie minicamp in May.

Gathings would remain with the team until July when he was waived. The Chiefs signed him a few days later, and he's spent the entirety of the season on Kansas City's practice squad. He won't be participating in today's game, but he's technically under contract.

5. Trey Dean, S, Chiefs

Gathings is one of three current members of the Chiefs practice squad who were previously with the Jets. He's also one of two 2023 undrafted rookies, along with safety Trey Dean.

Dean was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft, and following an impressive summer, he earned a spot on the team's practice squad. After spending the entire year on the Jets' practice squad, Dean's contract expired and he signed on with Kansas City last month.

The Jets actually offered Dean a reserve/futures contract, but the Florida product opted to join the Chiefs instead. He has yet to appear in a game for the Chiefs and will not be playing in the Super Bowl.

4. Mike Pennel, DT, Chiefs

10-year NFL veteran Mike Pennel is the third and final former Jets player on the Chiefs' practice squad, but unlike Gathings and Dean, he will be playing in the Super Bowl. Pennel is the only practice squad player the Chiefs elevated to play in the Big Game.

Pennel spent two years with the Jets from 2017-2018, serving a key role as a rotational nose tackle. He only appeared in three regular-season games for the Chiefs this year but has been elevated for every postseason game.

He's looking for his second Super Bowl ring after previously winning one with the Chiefs in 2019.

3. La'Mical Perine, RB, Chiefs

A fourth-round pick of the Jets in the 2020 NFL Draft, La'Mical Perine has managed to hang around the NFL as a bottom-of-the-roster running back in Kansas City.

Perine lasted only two seasons with the Jets before he was released as part of final roster cuts in 2022. He briefly spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins before finding a home in Kansas City.

Perine was actually a member of the Chiefs last year, meaning he'll be looking to earn his second Super Bowl ring tonight. He may be a healthy scratch if Jerick McKinnon (groin) is able to play.

2. Mecole Hardman, WR, Chiefs

The most recent member of the Jets was actually with the organization only a few short months ago. The Jets signed Mecole Hardman to a one-year, $4 million contract this past offseason with the promise of an expanded role.

Instead, Hardman played just 28 snaps with the Jets before he was shipped back to Kansas City. The two-time Super Bowl champion hauled in 14 catches for 118 yards in six games with the Chiefs this season, missing time with a thumb injury.

1. Sam Darnold, QB, 49ers

The most notable former Jets player participating in today's game is undoubtedly Sam Darnold. The former No. 3 overall pick spent three years as the Jets' starting quarterback between 2018 and 2020 before the team cut bait and replaced him with Zach Wilson.

Darnold wasn't able to catch on as a starter in Carolina but has settled into a nice role as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco. He started the final game of the regular season, completing 16-of-26 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown in a 21-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Darnold may not be expected to play in the Super Bowl, but he's the first member of the 2018 quarterback class to make it to the game. That has to count for something, right?