Jets trade Darnold to Panthers for draft picks
Sam Darnold was the face of a hopeful franchise, a promising playmaker who was expected to be the New York Jets’ quarterback for at least the next decade.
It took only three years for that dream to fizzle and fade.
Darnold was traded Monday to the Carolina Panthers, ending months of speculation and a stint in New York that was marked by a few flashes of brilliance, inconsistent play and unfortunate injuries.
And with the Jets holding the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, they’re likely moving on to another young signal-caller who they hope will deliver the team back to respectability.
New York announced it acquired a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft and secondand fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft.
Meanwhile, the 23-yearold Darnold gets a muchneeded change of scenery and a new opportunity in Carolina, where he’ll also be reunited with wide receiver Robby Anderson.
Darnold was considered an untouchable player on the roster in his second season, but it became clear the Jets could move on when general manager Joe Douglas
backed off that stance in March. Douglas praised Darnold, but acknowledged he would answer calls from teams interested in acquiring him.
The market for Darnold didn’t appear as robust as the Jets had hoped. But the speculation New York would move on from the young QB only intensified when Douglas, new coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur all traveled to Provo, Utah, to watch quarterback Zach Wilson’s impressive passing display at BYU’s pro day on March 26.
With the second pick, the Jets are widely expected to take either Wilson or Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Another possibility was Deshaun Watson, who requested a trade from Houston but is currently dealing with sexual assault and harassment lawsuits filed. BUCS’ DAVIS APOLOGIZES FOR ANTI-ASIAN SLUR>> Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis apologized for tweeting an antiAsian slur, saying he didn’t understand the offensive nature of a word he used. A key member of the Bucs’ Super Bowl-winning defense, Davis is a native of South Florida who said he thought he was using a term meaning “lame” in a tweet.