As the quarterback market awaits the fate of Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, the trade winds for Sam Darnold are beginning to swirl with a few teams interested in the former top-five pick. One of those teams already has a franchise quarterback on its roster.
The Seattle Seahawks would be interested in acquiring Darnold from the New York Jets if the franchise does trade Russell Wilson, per Pat Leonard of The New York Daily News. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has a high opinion of Darnold, as the Jets are shopping the 23-year-old quarterback.
"I think he's really talented without question," Carroll said back in December. "He's got great throws in him. He's a real quarterback. He sees things. He makes big plays and big throws in difficult situations because of his talent. It's just a matter of time. Sam's going to be a really big-time QB. He's thrown a lot of balls in three years. He's had a lot of experience. It will pay off in the long run."
The other notable suitor for Darnold's services include the Washington Football Team, just one day after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year, $10 million deal. Per Connor J. Hughes of The Athletic, Washington has not ruled out a trade for Darnold -- but the Football Team is unwilling to go as high as other teams in draft compensation even though there is still interest.
Darnold had his worst season in the NFL in 2020, completing just 59.6% of his passes for 2,208 yards and nine touchdowns to 11 interceptions for a 72.7 passer rating. Of 35 qualified quarterbacks, Darnold ranked 33rd in completion percentage, 32nd in touchdown percentage (2.5), 6th in interception percentage (3.0), 32nd in yards per attempt (6.1) and 35th in quarterback rating.
Teams are willing to take a flyer on Darnold due to his age and the offensive ineptitude former Jets head coach Adam Gase put him through over the past two seasons. A change of scenery may be just want Darnold needs -- and a lower price tag may make Darnold the next quarterback domino to fall.
