Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick believes everyone loved Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, except for the New York Jets.
Darnold was selected by the Jets with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft. He spent three seasons with the team before he was ultimately shipped off in a trade to the Carolina Panthers.
He played two seasons with the Panthers and one year with the San Francisco 49ers before landing in Minnesota, where he has seen a resurrection of his career.
Through the first three games, Darnold has recorded 657 passing yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He is coming off a game against the Houston Texans on Sunday that saw him record 181 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.
When talking about Darnold’s resurgence, Belichick praised the veteran quarterback, while also taking a slight dig at the Jets.
“Everybody has liked Darnold, except the Jets,” Belichick said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “The people at Carolina that I talk to, they really liked him. He was at the Rams, but not for very long. They liked him. I think they wanted to re-sign him. He was looking for more of an opportunity than to play behind Stafford.
“I know that Kevin [O’Connell] and some of the coaches at Minnesota, they really like this guy, too. Seemed like the only people that didn’t like Darnold were at the Jets.”
Bill Belichick talking about Sam Darnold:
“Everybody has liked Darnold, expect the Jets.”
(
@PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/Ty0aR2BxUL
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 23, 2024
Darnold currently has the Vikings sitting at 3-0. There’s no denying he’s off to a strong start, and only time will tell how far that momentum carries him this year.