Sam Darnold’s days as a beginning quarterback could also be numbered after the Carolina Panthers’ current acquisition of Baker Mayfield. The 25-year-old has produced lackluster numbers with the Jets and Panthers over his four-year profession, a pattern his longtime large receiver attributes to the previous’s mishandling of him.
Robbie Anderson not too long ago appeared on the “I Am Athlete” podcast, the place he defended Darnold and bashed the group that kickstarted each of their careers. When the duo first took the sphere collectively in 2018, Anderson felt as if his signal-caller wasn’t prepared.
“I'll say this with Sam although, I really feel like his growth was all tousled coming into the league,” Anderson stated. “Take a look at Pat [Mahomes] and take a look at Lamar [Jackson], they ain’t play immediately. I don’t really feel like Sam ought to have performed immediately so … I really feel like his profession obtained jump-started the improper means.”
In response to Anderson, the Jets coaches and entrance workplace did little to assist their ailing quarterback.
“I really feel like being within the constructing, the coaches … it wasn’t proper,” he continued. “So in his protection, I don’t really feel like he was developed 100% appropriately.”
Darnold’s tenure in New York got here at a time of head coach upheaval, hardly permitting the younger pass-slinger to achieve his footing within the NFL.
The USC product’s rookie season ended unceremoniously when the group fired Todd Bowles, who was largely used as a scapegoat for Darnold’s struggles because of his defense-oriented teaching type. Adam Gase – the supposed “quarterback guru” who took Bowles’ place – did not mildew Darnold right into a formidable quarterback, finally leaving the Jets after simply two seasons with a 9-23 document.
The Jets ultimately traded Darnold to Carolina final offseason, the place he continued to wrestle. In 11 video games on the helm final season, he threw 13 interceptions in comparison with simply 9 touchdowns and was sidelined for a month with a shoulder harm.
Regardless of Darnold’s uninspiring play, Anderson nonetheless has his quarterback’s again, as has been the case all through his profession. When rumors of a Mayfield-Panthers union ramped up earlier this 12 months, Anderson appeared to voice his disapproval on social media — a remark the large receiver now says wasn’t supposed to be disrespectful to his new teammate.
“I felt like after I was doing that, that was in protection of Sam, as a result of I really feel like on the finish of the day me and Sam do have chemistry,” Anderson stated. “It wasn’t no disrespect to him or nothing … it was simply actually in protection of who my quarterback is true now.”
It stays to be seen who Anderson will likely be catching passes from this season.
Post a Comment