Vikings' Sam Darnold on his failed tenure with the Jets: 'I could have played better'

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold could be the biggest story of the 2024 NFL season so far. Now Darnold will face the team that drafted him with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the New York Jets, on Sunday across the pond.

Darnold's time with the Jets only lasted three years (2018-20). Asked if he felt the Jets had “let him down,” Darnold said “no” on Wednesday.

“I had a lot of opportunities in New York and always felt like I could have played better there,” Darnold said.

Last week, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on “The Rich Eisen Show” that he believes “organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.”

While he had the edge at times during his time with the Jets, Darnold was inferior to Gang Green. During that three-year span, Darnold made a total of 38 starts, averaging 2,699 yards, 15 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a passer rating of 78.6 per season while completing 59.8% of his passes.

New York originally traded the No. 6 pick and three second-round draft picks to obtain the No. 3 pick and ultimately select Darnold – who played at USC – in 2018. The Jets traded Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 for a second-round, fourth- and sixth-round pick, while BYU quarterback Zach Wilson was selected with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. The Jets traded Wilson and a seventh-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for a sixth-rounder in April.

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Darnold spent two seasons with the Panthers (2021-22), with whom he started 17 games. He then spent 2023 with the San Francisco 49ers, serving as the backup to Brock Purdy and starting in Week 18 when the team rested a handful of starters ahead of the playoffs.

Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings in March. Minnesota also moved up one spot, selecting Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, McCarthy suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in August, cementing Darnold's status as the Vikings' starting quarterback.

This season, Darnold has totaled 932 passing yards, 11 NFL-level touchdowns, three interceptions and an NFL-level passer rating of 118.9 while completing 68.9% of his passes. He also ran for 50 yards. The Vikings are 4-0, one of only two NFL teams that remain undefeated alongside the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

As for Minnesota's Week 5 opponent, the Jets are 2-2 and in their first full season with Aaron Rodgers at center stage.

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