Jets General Manager Joe Douglas met the media on Tuesday to discuss the path forward for a team coming off the 2-14 season and whether it will involve quarterback Sam Darnold.
As team chairman Christopher Johnson did on Monday, Douglas found good things to say about Darnold and what the future holds for him in the NFL. He also joined Johnson in stopping well short of saying that he 2018 first-round pick is going to be back with the team in 2021.
Douglas said that any call will wait until the team has hired a head coach.
“Look, we’ve got a lot of decisions to make,” Douglas said, via SNY.tv. “I think that Sam’s going to be a great quarterback. I’m excited to get a head coach in here, go through our process. Had a great conversation with Sam yesterday. I won’t go into the specifics, but I think Sam has a very bright future in this league. So we’re going to get a head coach in here, we’re going to get together and we’re going to talk about quite a few decisions.”
Douglas was asked if Darnold, who missed four games with a shoulder injury, regressed during a season that saw him throw 11 interceptions and nine touchdowns. Douglas said Darnold “faced a lot of obstacles this year” while noting injuries on the offensive line and wide receiver, but it will be a minute or two before we know if that merits a mulligan on a dismal season.