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Adam Schefter says the Jets are very happy with how Sam Darnold is playing to the point he might end up the Week 1 starter for the team.
Sam Darnold “has a very fair shot” of winning Jets’ starting QB job for regular-season opener, per sources. He has to keep progressing, preseason will be critical, and he probably is a year away, when he turns 22. But Jets love what they see and he has a legit chance to win job.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 6, 2018
Reports like this tend to be very vague and noncommittal so they usually aren’t worth paying any attention.
In this instance it is notable because it is Schefter and it shows a window into the Jets’ thoughts. Sometimes a team drafts a quarterback with a plan to sit him as a rookie no matter what. Sometimes a team drafts a quarterback with a plan to sit him unless he is head and shoulders above the competition.
This suggests the Jets won’t have reservations about putting Darnold on the field if he passes certain tests in preseason. As Schefter states, the preseason is important. He won’t win the job if he plays poorly. But it would not be a shock to see him under center Week 1 in Detroit.