The New York Jets find themselves staring down another long offseason after a season that unraveled fast and hard. What was supposed to be a fresh start under new leadership with head coach Aaron Glenn turned into a full-blown reset. And to add salt to the wound, Jets fans will be watching a familiar face take the field on Super Bowl Sunday - Sam Darnold, the quarterback they once hoped would be the future of their franchise.
Darnold’s journey to the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks has reignited conversation around his early years in New York, especially from the man who drafted him. Former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, who selected Darnold third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, opened up this week in his first interview since being let go by the team in 2019.
“I was always kind of sad that Sam wasn't able to fulfill that potential in New York,” Maccagnan told ESPN. “That's where he started his journey, and, in an ideal world, he would've finished it there.”
It’s a sentiment that’s easy to understand. Darnold arrived in New York with all the tools - a strong arm, mobility, and poise beyond his years. But between coaching changes, a lack of stability on offense, and a supporting cast that rarely held up its end of the bargain, Darnold’s Jets tenure never quite got off the ground.
Maccagnan, who was only with Darnold for his rookie season before being dismissed in the summer of 2019, emphasized that sometimes a player needs a different environment to truly grow.
“But it wasn't meant to be, and he had to go on his own journey to grow and develop in different places,” Maccagnan said. “It makes me feel good that he's fulfilling his potential.
It's not necessarily vindication. In our business, when you see something, and it turns out the way you envisioned it, it makes you feel good.
I think every scout probably feels that way.”
And that’s the crux of it - the NFL is as much about timing and situation as it is about talent. Darnold had the raw tools, but the Jets weren’t in a place to bring the best out of him. In Seattle, with a more stable infrastructure and a coaching staff that’s played to his strengths, we’re finally seeing the version of Darnold that evaluators like Maccagnan believed in from the start.
Still, there’s a bit of what-could-have-been in Maccagnan’s words. He made it clear he would’ve liked to see Darnold get a real shot in New York - a chance to grow with continuity and support.
“My personal opinion: I would've liked to have seen him get a full opportunity there,” Maccagnan said. “But at the end of the day, I wasn't in that building, so I can't say, ‘They should've done this, this and this.’
I wasn't around. But I was saddened to see them trade him.”
Now, Jets fans are watching from the sidelines while the quarterback they once pinned their hopes on prepares for the biggest game of his life. It’s a bittersweet moment - pride in seeing Darnold succeed, mixed with the sting of knowing it didn’t happen in green and white.
For a franchise still searching for its next great quarterback, Darnold’s rise in Seattle is a reminder of how fragile development can be in the NFL. Right player, wrong time - and now, the Jets are back to square one, watching someone else reap the rewards.