Of all the records Peyton Manning holds, there’s one he’d very much love to lose: Most interceptions thrown by a rookie.
Manning set the record 20 years ago, with 28 picks in a 3-13 season. Jets rookie Sam Darnold, after throwing four interceptions on Sunday against the Dolphins, leads the league with 14. Through nine games, that puts Darnold on pace for 25 interceptions.
And that’s close enough to give Peyton hope. All it takes is a couple more Sundays like the most recent one to have Darnold in position to make the wrong kind of history.
Of course, Darnold can’t catch Manning if Darnold doesn’t play. For now, though, it appears that the Jets aren’t thinking about making a switch.
There’s no reason to. Darnold needs the reps in order to have the game slow down to the point where he can make a leap in 2019. And Darnold would surely welcome 28 picks in his rookie year if he’ll match Manning’s achievements over the balance of his career.