Zulgad: If Sam Darnold is taking satisfaction in proving he isn't a bust, he isn't showing it
As the quarterback gets set to face the team that drafted and then gave up on him, he has maintained a flatline approach that comes off as genuine.
(Photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)
Sam Darnold facing the New York Jets should have been one of the NFL’s juiciest storylines this week as the Vikings prepared for Sunday’s game in London.
The Jets, a perpetually dysfunctional franchise that drafted Darnold third overall in 2018 only to give up on him after three seasons. Darnold, a quarterback who was so far off the radar that he signed a one-year, $10 million last-chance contract with the Vikings in March and hoped to be the starter.
Even if Darnold didn’t enter this game leading a 4-0 team and playing like a potential MVP, he still qualified as a guy who had every reason to carry a chip on his shoulder when it came to Gang Green.
Right, Sam?
“I'm not really thinking about that, to be honest,” Darnold said. “A lot of new faces over there, I still know a few players, but I'm sure before the game, maybe after the game, seeing some of the people that I've built really good relationships with. … That's always the fun part about this league, being able to see people that you've worked with in the past and just continue to build those relationships or keep those relationships.”
So much for potential drama.
Having been to multiple Darnold press conferences this season, I will say this: His answer didn’t differ from any other response he has given. You want to talk about mechanical adjustments Darnold has made to become a better QB, you might get an interesting response. You want insight on his 13-25 record as the Jets’ starter, during which he threw 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions, Darnold isn’t going to provide any quotes that become a headline.
In some cases, you listen to an athlete and think, “C’mon, there’s way more there. This guy isn’t speaking his mind.” I’m not so sure that’s the case with Darnold. He has every right to be angry about what happened with the Jets, or how things didn’t work out during his two seasons with Carolina (16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 18 games) after he was traded by New York.
Darnold was considered by many to be the top player in the 2018 draft, and, yet, by his age 26 season, he was a mop-up guy to Brock Purdy, the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 draft, in San Francisco.
Darnold is about as flatline as they come, and I’m not sure how much he even considers the past. It might be that flatline demeanor that has made him such a good student in coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense. It’s Darnold’s good fortune that he’s spent the past two seasons being coached by San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and now O’Connell — two of the brightest, young offensive minds in the game.
Darnold leads the NFL in touchdown passes (11), percentage of touchdowns thrown per attempt (10.4 percent) and passer rating (118.9), and ranks second in yards per attempt (8.8 yards), trailing Brock Purdy (9.3).