No, Sam Darnold did not pan out in a New York Jets uniform, and I am not stating that Zach Wilson should aim to mirror Darnold’s entire career arc. And, no, I am not comparing Wilson and Darnold as players.
But there was one stretch in Darnold’s Jets career where he was exactly where he needed to be in his progression arc, and that was the same stretch that Wilson will begin today – the final four games of his rookie season.
Thanks to the substantial progress he showed over his final four games as a rookie, Darnold’s rookie season was ultimately a success despite a poor first half.