Sunny California suits Sam Darnold. The Cali quarterback is working on his craft as he prepares for year three with the New York Jets.
New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is staying sharp by working with quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer in beautiful sunny California. In a video Palmer posted to Instagram (h/t Jets X-Factor), Darnold is seen working on his footwork and showing off his patented “flick” pass.
No, this isn't a Top Gun trailer. It's just Sam Darnold hitting the footwork on the beach, via Jordan Palmer IG/jordanpalmer. #Jets pic.twitter.com/rXdygT9gNP
— Jets X-Factor (@jetsxfactor) May 17, 2020
Darnold is part of a trio of quarterbacks who are working with Palmer in Cali—Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Kyle Allen of the Washington Redskins (no relation).
Year three is going to be a sizable moment in Darnold’s NFL career. Although it might not be a make-or-break moment for the young passer, he needs to take the next step and help turn the Jets into a playoff contender.
The good news is that general manager Joe Douglas spent all offseason building around Darnold. The offensive line was a top priority with Connor McGovern, George Fant, and Greg Van Roten all signing in free agency.
But Douglas wasn’t done there. Through the draft, he added the mountain of a man Mekhi Becton and a development prospect from Charlotte, Cameron Clark. For the very first time in his NFL career, Darnold will have a competent offensive line.
With a rebuilt line, the next step is adding weapons. The loss of Robby Anderson leaves a hole at wide receiver, but the Jets were fortunate to have the super-talented Denzel Mims fall in their laps in the second round. Re-signing Ryan Griffin, a healthy Chris Herndon, and the dependability of Le’Veon Bell and Frank Gore in the backfield should be enough for Darnold to succeed.
The 2020 offseason has been picture perfect when it comes to Sam Darnold.
