Joe Namath and Curtis Martin on Darnold starting now or sitting first

[Patriot Killa]

Joe Namath: It'll 'take time' before Darnold is ready to start

Joe Namath has heard these questions before. Every time the New York Jets acquire a promising young quarterback, the franchise's most famous player becomes a magnet for reporters who want to know his opinion on The Next Great Hope.

On Tuesday, Namath was peppered with Sam Darnold questions at two charity events in Manhattan. Unlike Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, who said he believes the former USC star will lead the Jets to greatness, Broadway Joe took a measured approach. While he has high hopes for Darnold, he's not ready to put him in a fur coat, sipping Johnny Walker with a beautiful blonde at his side. (Google "Joe Namath" and "cultural icon.") At this early stage, Namath still doesn't know if Darnold can be the Week 1 starter.

"The players, the coaches have to be convinced he gives them the best chance to win," Namath said at the United Way of New York City gala. "Twenty years old and not having seen the animals -- the nature of the defenses he's going to be confronted with -- it's going to take time.

"Josh [McCown] knows what he's doing and Teddy Bridgewater was playing well -- well -- really before he got hurt. So between the three of them, you have to figure the [older] guys are ahead. But the future, no doubt, is lying with Darnold if he improves."

 

Darnold, picked third overall, performed well in last weekend's rookie minicamp. Team officials were particularly impressed by Sunday's practice, which was closed to the media. They noticed a considerable improvement in his command of the offense. The rookie will compete for the starting job in training camp, along with McCown and Bridgewater. It will be one of the hottest stories of the NFL summer.

How Darnold handles the spotlight will be important. Namath said "one of the things that saved me" was refusing to listen to the outside noise -- the criticism and the praise. For the record, Namath, the first overall pick in the 1965 AFL draft, didn't crack the starting lineup until the third game of his rookie year.

"I don't know that anyone can completely handle New York," said Namath, who believes Darnold will be just fine with proper mentoring. "It's a one-of-a-kind city with a one-of-a-kind population."

Speaking to reporters at a morning charity event, Johnson said the drafting of Darnold will be remembered 20 years from now as the turning point for the franchise, which has fallen on hard times in recent years.

"I can only say, God, I hope I'm around in 20 years to be able to look back with Chris to see if it panned out that way," Namath said, laughing.

While Namath believes Darnold must prove he's worthy of the starting job, fellow Hall of Famer Curtis Martin said the Jets should consider playing him right away.

"I'm a big fan of throwing him in the fire, if he's the best option," Martin said. "If they have better options, then, of course, I think you play someone else and let him develop under them. But if he has the ability, I think you get him in there as soon as possible."

[Sperm Edwards]

Agree with Martin more, with the obvious caveat that it depends how far behind he is. If it's close, just go with him. If the difference is so wide a casual observer could watch practice and say, "OK he's not nearly ready now," then he's not going to learn anything by practice stuff going by 100x faster in a game, sans red jersey.

Doesn't have to be game 1, but I hate to think this franchise has fallen into a comfort zone of having rookie QBs hold a clipboard for an entire year just because 2 incompetent QB prospects were unready as rookies, since they still proved unready year(s) thereafter.

Namath cited Bridgewater's "playing well" in the past. Half his past was his rookie season, which found him taking over in the 2nd quarter of week 3.

[Jetster]

I'm sure it will go the Bowles way...start an old fart..play just below 500, talk about being still in it, lose 5 in a row, play Sam to run out the thread. 

If he's able to handle the playbook, give the players a glimpse of their future here with the Jets. 

[rangerous]

here's to hoping darnold does so well in camp they can't help but start him.  and even he doesn't know the plays or game nuances as much as mccown his physical ability should help him make more plays.

[Patriot Killa]

Agree with Martin as well. If he’s close or ready..give him the nod. Game reps is what is really going to help as long as everything else is in order.(his comphrension of the playbook, timing with his guys, ect)

absolutely zero reason to hold Darnold back if he’s even 90% set and ready to go...and that’s also something I think Bowles will do. Bowles loves him some Sam. Bowles know how much this organization loves the guy..if he’s there..he’s starting.

[j4jets]

I want Darnold to be a great QB just so we can keep Joe off the media. 

[Thai Jet]

I'm with Namath. Big adjustment for Darnold just going from USC to the NFL, then you add it's NYC and it's a HUGE adjustment. Let him sit and learn for awhile There is no dire need to rush him.

[long suffering jets fan]

11 minutes ago, Thai Jet said:

I'm with Namath. Big adjustment for Darnold just going from USC to the NFL, then you add it's NYC and it's a HUGE adjustment. Let him sit and learn for awhile There is no dire need to rush him.

Agreed.  Ease him in.  We're playing for the long term. 

[southparkcpa]

In retrospect, NAMATH was spot on about Sanchez. 

[RSJ]

If Darnold is ready to go you start him.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

 

[jetstream23]

The thing with quarterbacks is that everyone can tell in practice.  The coaches, the players, and especially the defense that's lining up against him in those midweek practices during the season.  It becomes obvious at a certain point when the QB has command of the offense, when he's making all the right calls for protections, when he's comfortable and throwing with anticipation to the right read, etc.  Who knows when it will happen but at a certain point I wouldn't be surprised if, say during Week 5, McCown simply says to Bates, "Man, the kid's really got it going on now, doesn't he?"  And Bates says, "Yeah, that's 3 great practices in a row.  I trust him now and he's making some of those throws that you've been struggling with.  I think it's time."

[jgb]

6 hours ago, southparkcpa said:

In retrospect, NAMATH was spot on about Sanchez. 

And this board all but called him a traitor and irrelevant when he expressed that opinion. Joe earned the right to opine on all things jets without having shade thrown his way by fans imho.

[New York Mick]

If he’s ready start him if he’s not then don’t. This season’s record is meaningless. I’m worried 3 to 10 years from now. 

[bla bla bla]

I’ve said it before, I expect Bowles to play the best QB on the roster like he has the last 3 seasons. I think if it is a close race then Darnold should get it but I would also be cool with him starting week 4 because of the 3 games in 10 days thing.

[nyjunc]

It's very simple, if the coaches evaluate him through the offseason, training camp and preseason and think he is ready to play then he should start day 1.  if they don't feel he's quite ready then he should sit and watch early and make his debut later in the season. if he's not ready week 1 they shouldn't just throw him out.

[CTM]

9 hours ago, southparkcpa said:

In retrospect, NAMATH was spot on about Sanchez. 

I thought he liked Sanchez? 

[Larz]

"if he's the best option" 

They both said the same thing 

Let's remember he audibled for the first time in his life last week 

The Jets already answered the question, they will not hold him back but there is no timetable 

[MaxAF]

I’d say give him plenty of preseason game time. They gave Hack a lot of preseason play and it was evident he was not ready.  Let him work with the first unit and see how he handles it. If he needs more work let him sit and learn. If they think he’s ready, play him. A caution that you can ruin a guy by putting him out there prematurely. He needs success to build confidence.

[Sperm Edwards]

11 hours ago, southparkcpa said:

In retrospect, NAMATH was spot on about Sanchez. 

Sanchez played only 1 full season at USC and his own HC said he wasn’t ready. He was also only barely a top 20 prospect who shot up to #5 due to a relative scarcity of  QB prospects after Stafford, and after they measured his hand size and other crap at the combine.

They aren’t the same people. Right after the draft, what are the odds he’d have recommended “right away” starting the likes of Wilson, Wentz, etc.?

Base it on this player, not on other different players. Sanchez should have started out on the bench, and I remember being laughed at for the suggestion, with people chiming in with cute sayings like, "You don't learn anything on the bench." Well that depends what the player is learning. If he's learning finer nuances of the game, which experience alone teaches adequately, then I agree. If he's learning to fix mechanics, doesn't fully have a grasp of the playbook, and/or has maturity issues, then I disagree.

[Long Island Leprechaun]

8 hours ago, jetstream23 said:

The thing with quarterbacks is that everyone can tell in practice.  The coaches, the players, and especially the defense that's lining up against him in those midweek practices during the season.  It becomes obvious at a certain point when the QB has command of the offense, when he's making all the right calls for protections, when he's comfortable and throwing with anticipation to the right read, etc.  Who knows when it will happen but at a certain point I wouldn't be surprised if, say during Week 5, McCown simply says to Bates, "Man, the kid's really got it going on now, doesn't he?"  And Bates says, "Yeah, that's 3 great practices in a row.  I trust him now and he's making some of those throws that you've been struggling with.  I think it's time."

Well said. Agreed.

[southparkcpa]

9 hours ago, CTM said:

I thought he liked Sanchez? 

He did , but he criticized his work ethic and other things....   thats my memory.

[RutgersJetFan]

Joe Namath thought Mark Sanchez was awesome and that Geno Smith was a pussy for tearing his ACL. He has been wrong about literally everything with respect to the Jets this millennium.  Think it's fair to say that whatever his opinion is on something, the opposite is probably the way to go.

[CTM]

51 minutes ago, southparkcpa said:

He did , but he criticized his work ethic and other things....   thats my memory.

I don't remember it like that, I remember him still being on the Sanchez wagon that he said the Geno pick was a waste