Former New York Jets No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold isn’t necessarily one of the biggest or best NFL free agents at the quarterback position.
He’s also not gaining headlines with the tampering period having opened around the football world. Instead, the likes of Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons) and Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers) latching on with new teams have gained most of the attention.
All the while, it appears that Darnold quietly has found a relatively robust free agent market. It was noted earlier on Monday that the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos have made offers to the former Jets draft bust.
We can now also add the Washington Commanders to the mix. Per Peter Schrager of NFL Media, Washington joins Denver and Minnesota in being in on Darnold.
It was earlier on Monday that the Commanders lost veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett to the New England Patriots. They are also looking to trade last season’s starter, Sam Howell.
Adding Darnold to the mix as a stopgap starter does seem to make sense. Washington boasts the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It will be going quarterback with that selection barring a trade down.
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Sam Darnold career stats: 59.7% completion, 12,064 yards, 63 TD, 56 INT
Darnold, 26, spent last season as Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers. He saw action in 10 games, throwing two touchdowns compared to one interception.
The former USC standout spent his first three seasons with the Jets, throwing a mere 45 touchdowns compared to 39 interceptions in the process.
As for interest in Darnold, both Minnesota and Denver are in need of QB1 options. The Vikings lost the aforementioned Cousins to Atlanta in NFL free agency. Meanwhile, the Broncos released Russell Wilson after just two seasons.