Davis :‘Sam is the guy’
New Jet WR believes Darnold will be his QB
Corey Davis, the 26-year-old free-agent receiver the Jets signed last week, made two things clear Tuesday during a Zoom call to introduce him to reporters.
z It’s his “understanding’’ that quarterback Sam Darnold will be throwing passes to him come September.
z And he considers himself a “Wide Receiver One.’’
Both of those assertions will have to play themselves out before we know for certain, though Davis being the Jets’ top receiver in 2021 appears to be much more of a certainty than Darnold throwing passes to him.
“I’m coming in with the understanding that Sam is the guy,’’ said Davis, who’s coming off a careerbest season in 2020 with 65 catches for 984 yards and five TDs (all career highs) for the Titans.
Davis, though, acknowledged the uncertainty at quarterback when he signed with the Jets and said, “That doesn’t scare me away at all.
“Whichever direction they decide to go, it’s on me to be sure I’m ready,’’ he said. “I’m ready to catch [passes] from whomever.’’
Davis complimented Darnold, saying, “I’ve seen Sam do great things and have all belief in him. He’s definitely a guy I look forward to working with. He’s a great leader; I’ve heard great things from talking to guys on the team. I look forward playing with him.’’
Interestingly, Davis said he has not yet spoken to Darnold, saying that he “just got his number’’ and is “going to reach out to him as soon as I get the chance.’’
Davis was signed a week ago and is now the best receiver on the Jets roster. That makes the fact Darnold hasn’t reached out to him by now rather curious and possibly telling that Darnold doesn’t believe he’ll be the quarterback throwing passes to Davis come September.
One thing is certain about the Jets quarterbacking situation in 2021: It remains uncertain — regardless of Davis’ expectations.
Davis on Tuesday was merely being a good teammate in complimenting Darnold when asked about him. He likely doesn’t have any intel on whether Darnold will be a Jet or not in ’21.
Firstly, Jets general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh wouldn’t tell him that definitively. And secondly, those guys likely don’t even know for sure themselves as trade scenarios are still fluid with the draft approaching next month and many options remain on the table.
Whomever is throwing passes to Davis, though, will be throwing to a player hungry to prove himself.
“I do consider myself Wide Receiver One with my ability to get open, my speed [and] separation,’’ Davis said. “I feel like I can do it all. I feel like I’m a 1,000-yard receiver. It’s up to me to put in the work make sure I’m healthy and play a full season.’’
Davis was clear about the reason he came to the Jets — other than the three-year, $37.5 million contract the team gave him.
“It starts with coach Saleh,’’ Davis said. “He’s the right guy to come in here and turn things around. That’s why I came here.’’
Matt LaFleur, the brother of Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and currently the Packers head coach, was Davis’ offensive coordinator with the Titans in 2018. So, Davis has a familiarity with the system, calling that another “big piece of ’’ the reason he signed with the Jets “so I can come in and hit the ground running.’’
Another, more personal, reason for Davis coming to the Jets was his older brother, Titus, who had two stints with the team as a practicesquad receiver in 2015 and 2016 and died last November from renalmedullary carcinoma, an aggressive form of kidney cancer.
“He had a huge influence on my career, not only just football but in life,’’ Davis said. “He will be missed, and it definitely means a little bit more to me knowing he wore the green and white as well.’’