As the Jets continue to have a winless season, all signs point to them picking Trevor Lawrence in the draft. This leaves question of Sam Darnold’s future as an NFL quarterback. It is no secret he has dealt with dysfunction and is in the worst situation for a young quarterback. This leaves the Indianapolis Colts with room to make a trade to benefit themselves and Sam Darnold.
In terms of practicality, the Colts would not have to give up much for the most important position in football. At most they would be giving a second or third-round draft pick for a young QB on a rookie contract. There have been rumors of the Colts looking to make a move on Carson Wentz. This move can be dangerous for the Colts due to his large salary and him having a down year. Furthermore, if the trade for Sam Darnold failed, they would not suffer from a large salary cap hit.
What makes Carson Wentz an attractive possibility for the Colts is his relationship with Frank Reich. Former Offensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles proved he helps scheme and showcase the talents of quarterbacks in 2017. During the 2017 season, Carson Wentz threw for 3,296 yards with 33 touchdowns and a QBR of 101.9 through 13 games and was a lead candidate for MVP that season. This success with Carson Wentz leaves a lot of room for imagination for what he can do with a still very young Sam Darnold who would finally have weapons to help him develop if he were to make his way to Indianapolis. The weapons and coaching of the Colts will provide the platform for Darnold to show his true potential.
Colts fans may have doubts about Sam Darnold’s talent and feel he is not the proper fit for the Colts. However, as previously mentioned, the Jets did not provide an environment for him to succeed. This is highlighted the most through Adam Gase and his failure to develop young quartbacks. During his tenure with the Dolphins, he made Ryan Tannehill look very similar to Darnold. Tannehill threw for 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, with a 93.5 QBR in 13 games, and in Darnold’s first year with Adam Gase, he threw for 19 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, with a 90.7 QBR in 13 games. Now that Ryan Tannehill is under better coaching we see massive improvements and this season he has thrown for 28 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, with a 108 QBR in 13 games. With the Colts proven coaching staff, they can bring out the talent in Darnold to be a franchise QB.
Overall, the Indianapolis Colts would be taking a low risk for a high reward if they are able to make a trade for Sam Darnold. For Sam Darnold, he would have an opportunity to revive his young career in a new and stable environment.