Sam Darnold showed flashes of his franchise quarterback potential throughout the New York Jets' disappointing season, and his development remains at the core of the team's priorities.
Finding a head coach who can squeeze every ounce of potential out of Darnold will be at the top Mike Maccagnan's wish list as the general manager embarks on his quest to find Todd Bowles' replacement.
"I would think, given the opportunity, I would like the potential head coaches that come through here to have a chance to spend a little time with (Darnold) just so they get a feel for Sam," Maccagnan said Monday, per the team's official website. "We definitely want to make sure they have a plan in place to develop our young quarterback.
"I think our (coaching vacancy) is going to be pretty attractive with the way the roster is situated, with the salary-cap space, with our draft picks, and with a young quarterback in Sam Darnold."
"We've got some great young players, including and especially Sam," said Jets CEO Christopher Johnson, who will be working with Maccagnan in the team's coaching search. "We haven't had what we think is a franchise quarterback in a good long time."
Johnson said he and Maccagnan on are the same page when it comes to building their franchise around Darnold and making sure their next coach will fulfill that mission.
