Vikings QB Sam Darnold ‘not really thinking’ about Jets tenure ahead of Sunday’s matchup
Sam Darnold leads the NFL with 11 touchdown passes in four starts (going into Week 5). He has the undefeated Vikings atop the league standings. His name is being tossed around by oddsmakers as an early candidate for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award behind perennial favorites like the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Bills’ Josh Allen. So, surely, he was traveling to London on Thursday afternoon, when the Vikings departed for an overnight flight, with his chest out and head held high.
He must be itching to get back at Sunday’s opponent, the New York Jets, who drafted him No. 3 overall and traded away after three forgettable seasons, right? “I’m not really thinking about that to be honest,” Darnold said Wednesday. “A lot of new faces over there. Still know a few players over there, but I’m sure maybe before the game or after the game, seeing some of the people that I’ve built really good relationships ― that’s always the fun part.”
Both the Jets (2-2) and Darnold with the Vikings (4-0) have moved far beyond their time together from 2018 to 2020. Darnold was there in the middle of a tumultuous time for the Jets; in 2019, they fired head coach Todd Bowles and General Manager Mike Maccagnan, who had just drafted Darnold the year before.
