Jets Country

Jets Continue to Benefit From the Sam Darnold Trade

Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold was booed by fans in his return from injury on Sunday, another sign that the New York Jets won the Darnold trade.

Max Goodman

In this story:

When the Jets sent Sam Darnold to Carolina in a trade this past offseason, some pundits and fans questioned the move, wondering if New York would regret it. 

Then, in Week 1, Darnold and the Panthers gave the Jets a first-hand look of what Gang Green was missing as the quarterback led his team to a victory against his old team with 279 passing yards and a score.

Fast forward to Week 16 and it sounds like Panthers fans have turned on their new quarterback. Darnold heard boos from fans in Carolina as he jogged onto the field on Sunday.

Darnold was entering the game replacing quarterback Cam Newton in the second quarter of a loss to the Buccaneers, his first in-game action since his right shoulder injury that resulted in a trip to injured reserve last month. 

To be fair, those boos could've been directed at several people. After all, it's been a frustrating stretch for the Panthers and their fan base. Since starting the season 3-0, Carolina has won just two games, transforming into a last-place club with a 5-10 record.

Sunday proved to be another lackluster performance for Darnold in his return from injury, though. The former third overall pick completed just 15 of his 32 passes, accumulating just 190 passing yards. He didn't have a touchdown pass or an interception.

On the season, Darnold has thrown 11 picks and just seven touchdown passes, a ration resembling the numbers he produced in green and white. After averaging just under 300 yards through his first four games in a Panthers uniform, Darnold has eclipsed the 200-yard mark just once in a single game since then. 

From the Jets' perspective, their new franchise quarterback hasn't exactly been spectacular. Rookie Zach Wilson has battled through his fair share of growing pains, but that's the key. Wilson is in Year 1 of his NFL journey and with New York's clear direction (and plenty of draft capital coming up over the next few years), you have to figure Gang Green is going to continue to surround their young stud with the talent necessary to win games. If Wilson develops, while general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh handle the rest of the roster and this organization's culture, the Jets are going to be in good shape down the road, perhaps even sooner than some may think. 

Speaking of draft capital, Darnold and the Panthers struggling this year means more to New York than meets the eye. Remember, the Jets received a package that included a second-rounder and fourth-rounder in 2022 in the Darnold deal. 

That means, entering Week 17, New York will be on the clock with the No. 38 and No. 109 picks in the 2022 NFL draft courtesy of Carolina (per Tankathon), both picks coming within the first seven selections in their respective rounds. 

It's not as much of a high-profile impact as the Jamal Adams trade (New York will likely add a second top-10 pick in the first round from the Seahawks), but New York can certainly still add some talented and high-upside players in the second and fourth rounds. 

Years from now, we can all look back on the Darnold trade with a better understanding of how the transaction truly impacted both teams involved. For right now and as the 2021 regular season rapidly comes to a close, however, it looks like Gang Green won the trade and will benefit from it in the short and long term. 

MORE:

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.

Published
Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

Home/News