Jets believe QB Darnold set to start

Age is nothing but a number to the New York Jets.

Sam Darnold turned legal drinking age three months ago, but the Jets think their rookie quarterback is ready to handle the bright lights of New York.

Darnold will become the youngest opening-day starting quarterback in NFL history when the Jets play at the Detroit Lions on “Monday Night Football.” He will be 21 years, 97 days old when the game kicks off.

The No. 3 overall pick from Southern California beat out 39-year-old Josh McCown, the Jets’ starter a year ago. It came down to Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater.

The Jets were clearly not afraid of Darnold’s youth because they had a capable starter in Bridgewater, who proved during the preseason he’s back to his Minnesota form after sitting out the past two years with a devastating knee injury.

Being bold is what brought Darnold to New York, so why stop now? General manager Mike Maccagnan made a potential job-saving trade in March when he sent three second-round picks to the Indianapolis Colts to move up to the No. 3 spot.

Maccagnan got some of that capital back when he traded Bridgewater to the New Orleans Saints last month for a 2019 third-round pick.

The Jets took a chance on Bridgewater when no one else would. It paid off, and it makes their investment in Darnold much better.

In an era of first-round quarterbacks being allowed to start during their rookie season, not many have done it on opening day recently.

Darnold is the only one of the five quarterbacks taken in the firstround of April’s draft who will start in Week 1.

Last year, first-rounders Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes were backups on Week 1. Watson did replace Tom Savage in the second half of the opener.

Carson Wentz, the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft, was the last first-round rookie QB to start a Week 1 game.

In 2014, no first-round rookie quarterback made a Week 1 start. In 2012, four first-round rookie QBs were under center for opening week.

Darnold won’t be alone in the coming weeks. Baker Mayfield, the 2018 top pick, is too talented to be on the bench for the Browns, but if Tyrod Taylor is winning games, he’ll have to wait awhile.

Josh Allen is probably next in line to start with the lackluster Nathan Peterman getting the nod from the Bills this week. Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of his first NFL start last season.

Josh Rosen needs a Sam Bradford injury to move to the top of the line in Arizona. Bradford has proven he can’t stay healthy since entering the league in 2010.

Lamar Jackson is most likely not to receive a start during his rookie year. The Ravens seem set with Joe Flacco for at least the 2018 season.

Jackson could be next year’s Mahomes, who waited his turn behind Alex Smith last season in Kansas City and is now viewed as a potential breakout quarterback.