EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 08: Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 8, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Adam Gase is doing his best to turn Sam Darnold into a star with the Jets, but he strongly preferred Baker Mayfield heading into the 2018 NFL Draft.
If the Jets are going to grow into legitimate playoff contenders anytime soon, head coach Adam Gase is going to need Sam Darnold to develop into an above average starting quarterback. Ironically, there’s a strong chance that Gase would prefer to work with the signal caller he’ll be trying to beat on Monday Night Football.
According to the New York Daily News, the Jets’ head man actually rated both Mayfield and Josh Allen ahead of Darnold when he evaluated quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl for the Miami Dolphins. After the event, Gase wanted to find a way to draft Mayfield, but they couldn’t make it happen from the No. 11 pick they possessed in that year’s draft.
It’s safe to say that most personnel staffers in the league would prefer Mayfield at this point. The Browns made a bold move to pick him at No. 1, but he flashed Pro Bowl potential during his rookie campaign. The more interesting question is whether or not Gase would prefer to have Darnold or Allen at this point in their respective developments.
Both quarterbacks are firmly entrenched as their team’s starters. Neither has been able to lift the personnel group around them to a playoff berth yet. Both teams internally believe they have a shot at the postseason this year, but the Jets and Bills both need their young quarterbacks to take big steps forward to turn those dreams into reality.
No matter what Gase truly believes, he needs to turn his full attention towards making Darnold the best quarterback he can be if he wants to succeed in New York. His front office splashed a lot of cash on free agents in the offseason to make this team a factor in the AFC East. No one in the Jets’ front office is going to listen to Gase if he complains about his quarterback. The franchise is all in on Darnold, and Gase needs to make sure that he is too.