When Sam Darnold finally showed up at Jets camp, he was saying and singing all the right things.
In addition to doing his obligatory hazing by singing at a team meeting, Darnold kept everything harmonious when asked about his contract negotiations which caused him to miss the first three days of camp.
“It sucked watching it, but at the same time, I knew what needed to be done,” he said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “I knew it was necessary. . . .
“I thought it played out great.”
Financially yes, since he’ll make $20 million of his four-year, $30 million deal in the next two weeks. And if he’s as good as they think, it might not even do all that much damage to his chances to compete for the starting job.
The Jets have made it clear that veteran Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater occupy the first two spots on the depth chart, and Darnold wasn’t going to rock the boat so soon after arriving. They did give him a few reps with the first team, but he knows what to expect.
“Obviously, it’s a coach’s decision,” he said. “The competitor in me, yeah, I want to start, but it’s whatever is best for the team. . . . With Josh and Teddy, it’s a huge challenge.”
His play will determine how quickly that changes, if it does anytime soon.