Former USC quarterback Sam Darnold shows major potential in rookie season

While playing for a struggling Jets team, former USC quarterback Sam Darnold has been limited by injuries but has shown potential in the long run.

At first glance, former USC quarterback and New York Jets rookie Sam Darnold got off to a rough start for his NFL career. After all, his first career attempt was an interception. Actually, it was a pick six.

Playing for a struggling New York Jets squad, Darnold produced at a mediocre rate and has faced injuries throughout the season. However, he has also showed signs of a quarterback who has the potential to sustain a long and successful NFL career.

Darnold’s first cause for concern are his stats, which are mediocre. He has only 2,357 yards and 14 touchdowns along with 15 interceptions and a low passer rating of 72.8 in 11 games.

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In addition, Darnold has missed three games this year due to a foot sprain that kept him out for almost a full month of play.

Clearly, Darnold is facing the common struggles of every rookie quarterback in the NFL. Some are afraid that if Darnold does not improve his performances within the next couple of seasons, then he will join the long list of USC quarterbacks who could not maintain the level of success that they had in college.

Although USC has failed to produce highly successful NFL quarterbacks, Darnold has the potential to break the standard and perhaps have a long, solid career more like an old USC alum: Carson Palmer.

Throughout the season, Darnold’s play has gone up and down, which is no surprise, but he displays assets that cannot be shown in the stat books.

One of these assets is his elite mobility.  Darnold’s ability to scramble, avoid sacks, and thus extend plays excited USC fans in college and they continue to excite Jets fans today.  This talent is invaluable to coaches and teams, especially those with a weak offensive line.

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Additionally, Darnold has demonstrated a calm but also confident and poised character, something he has carried over from college.  He never seems rattled or frustrated and his head always looks like it is in the game. This quiet, serious confidence has allowed him to consistently bounce back from rough games and has especially started to show in the last stretch of the season.

In the few games before he got injured, Darnold had entered a small midseason slump.  In three losses in a row, he had thrown seven picks and just two touchdowns.  As soon as he got back, however, Darnold led the Jets to a fourth-quarter comeback win with two touchdown drives against the Bills.

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Against the Texans last Saturday, Darnold had arguably his best game of the season, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers.  With his best weapons injured, Darnold kept the Jets close to the Texans the whole game, almost putting on a one man show.

Darnold has proven without a doubt that he can be the Jets future franchise player. Given the right weapons and good coaching, he has the potential to blossom into a star quarterback thanks to his scrambling abilities, poised demeanor and good decision-making.

If this happens, then Darnold may be the first elite NFL quarterback that USC has produced in a long time.