Darnold looked decent with 2 starting NFL WR's, a great RB and a solid OL. However any decent QB would look decent with that kind of support. I expect the Panthers to draft a QB next year and sit him behind Darnold for a few games and then let him play. This assuming Darnold doesn't suddenly find himself - which is not impossible.
Huh? They returned two thousand yard receivers and an offensive line that only yielded 36 sacks (middle of the league) last year. For what it's worth, and he has plenty of career left, but Sewell has yielded four sacks in five games in five games (tied for second worst in the league) barring whatever happened today.
Darnold is not a statistically average QB right now. He leads the league in combined INT's+fumbles this year. He's 26th in passer rating. He's also due to make $18 million next year while Wilson is due $2 million.
The only two QB stats that matter to me are Y/A and wins. And in those two categories, he's league-average. EDIT: I suppose I should mention rushing yards, too. Because someone else will (and to a certain extent, it is important).
I'd have been really happy right about now with backpages asking when Wilson was going to see the field. That and the fact that Darnold *could* have suddenly found himself in a contract year - giving the Jets an embarrassment of riches at QB - were the main two reasons to keep Sam.
It's called "idiot offensive coordinator finally forced to let his QB throw the ball more than 5 yards downfield." It's been a Jets staple since 1985.
... or Schottenheimer, Jr., or Paul Hackett, or Mornhinweg, or Sparano, or Heimerdinger, or Kotite, or Joe Walton ...