Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman is a fierce competitor but offered high praise for the New York Jets rookie QB Sam Darnold.
In the midst of a tumultuous get-together, it appears the New York Jets and Washington Redskins can agree on one thing: rookie quarterback Sam Darnold looks promising.
After Tuesday’s practice, Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, who typically doesn’t get along well with visitors from New York, praised the rookie quarterback. This was shortly after the teams wrapped up their final joint practice at Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond before the teams square off in a preseason game at FedEx Field on Thursday night (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN). In video obtained by Kimberley A. Martin of the Washington Post, Norman offered his compliments.
“This little kid’s not making mistakes!” Norman remarked. “Someone asked me about him the other day and I was like, ‘Yeah, whatever; he’s just a guy.’ Then you go out here and see him making these throws and you’re like, all right. That’s not so much a college-level throw. He’s putting them on the money.”
Norman, entering his seventh NFL season and third in Washington, went on to put Darnold in good company, comparing him to a pair of successful young quarterbacks he knows quite well from his experiences in the NFC East.
“You get rookies in here and you try to mess them with a little bit and bait them a little bit into thinking they’re throwing a route, and you can make a play, and he’s not having it. It’s so crazy to see that at an early age,” Norman said. “(Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott) has that, (Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz) has that. So it’s like, man, they must come in here not wanting to screw it up, and he’s so far impressed me, and I didn’t want him to. I wanted to break all rookies. He’s been doing a great job.”
Though no starting quarterback has been announced for Thursday’s game, Darnold has reportedly been taking more snaps with the first team offense. He went 13-for-18 for 96 yards and a touchdown in the Jets’ preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons last Friday.
Some teams prefer to let their young quarterbacks sit and learn with a clipboard, but it appears the Jets are ready to let Darnold fly. All signs point to Darnold stepping in as the starter against Washington.
