Bills to Sign QB Sam Darnold as Josh Allen Backup (And Buddy)?

Sam Darnold, at 6-3 and 225 pounds with 55 starts on his resume, is a name worthy of the Bills bringing to the table.

Sam Darnold still retains prototypical size, still retains the pedigree that made him the No. 3 overall player taken in the 2018 NFL Draft ... and still needs to prove himself.

How about if he proves himself as Josh Allen's backup with the Buffalo Bills?

Katherine Fitzgerald the Buffalo News writes: “There aren’t a ton of options who meet the sweet spot of: 1. Financially attainable; 2. Have desirable experience; and 3. Aren’t even older than (Case) Keenum, who turned 35 last week. …

"Sam Darnold passes the 'he is friends with Josh' test.”

Keenum, 35, is set to hit free agency, and 32-year-old Matt Barkley is still in the building. But Darnold is an intriguing idea because there remains a great deal of upside here.

His stint as "The Next Great Hope'' with the New York Jets never quite worked. He spent the last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers as they took a flier on him, but his 2021 numbers - 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions while starting 11 games - sort of typified his time there.

Most reclamation projects aren't 25. And not every backup QB suggests the promise of being able to grow into an NFL starter. Darnold, at 6-3 and 225 pounds with 55 starts on his resume, would bring those things. ... making his name a worthy one for the Bills to bring to the table.

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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983. He is the author of two best-selling books on the NFL.