Sam Darnold’s emergence with the Minnesota Vikings through the first three weeks of the season has been one of the more compelling storylines of 2024 to this point. The veteran quarterback was once looked at as a castoff relegated to backup status after failing to help bring the New York Jets out of obscurity as the No. 3 overall pick in 2018.
Despite being a backup in various other spots before establishing himself with the Vikings, former NFL coach Bill Belichick revealed the admiration that Darnold has around the league. Except in New York, of course.
“Everybody has liked Darnold except the Jets,” Belichick told The Pat McAfee Show during his weekly appearance Monday. “The people in Carolina that I talked to, they really liked him. He was with the Rams not for very long, they liked him, I think they wanted to re-sign him, he was looking for more of an opportunity than playing behind [Matthew] Stafford. I know that Kevin and some of the coaches in Minnesota, they really like this guy, too. It seemed like the only people who didn’t like Darnold were the Jets.”
Belichick is never one to shy away from taking a jab at the Jets, but it was a rocky road for Darnold before getting to this point. New York traded Darnold to Carolina in 2021 for an array of draft picks after he had gone 13-25 in the three seasons he was with the organization. His time with the Panthers wasn’t much to write home about either, as he went 8-9 as a starter. Moreover, Belichick was wrong in saying that Darnold played for the Los Angeles Rams. He likely meant the San Francisco 49ers, where Darnold spent last season as the backup to Purdy.
In any event, Darnold has been unlocked with the Vikings under coach Kevin O’Connell, with Minnesota now 3-0 to begin the season to the likely chagrin of those in New York who were on hand when he was brought on out of USC all those years ago.
