The New York Jets are in hot water again after another disastrous season. New York is back in rebuild mode after Aaron Glenn’s inaugural season was a complete disaster. To make matters worse, New York has to watch their former franchise quarterback Sam Darnold in the Super Bowl next week.
Former Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan spoke with ESPN about Darnold’s Super Bowl run with the Seahawks.
“I was always kind of sad that Sam wasn’t able to fulfill that potential in New York,” Maccagnan told ESPN’s Rich Cimini this week in his first interview since being fired by the Jets in 2019. “That’s where he started his journey, and, in an ideal world, he would’ve finished it there.”
Maccagnan was New York’s general manager in 2018 when the Jets drafted Darnold with the third overall pick.
He argued that Darnold needed to go on the long journey of his NFL career to unleash his full potential. Naturally, that makes Maccagnan feel good that he was right about Darnold’s potential.
“But it wasn’t meant to be, and he had to go on his own journey to grow and develop in different places. It makes me feel good that he’s fulfilling his potential,” Maccagnan added. “It’s not necessarily vindication. In our business, when you see something, and it turns out the way you envisioned it, it makes you feel good. I think every scout probably feels that way.”
Ultimately, Maccagnan would have liked to see Darnold succeed in New York instead of Seattle. But Maccagnan was surprisingly fired in the summer of 2019 and was only around Darnold for his rookie season.
“My personal opinion: I would’ve liked to have seen him get a full opportunity there,” Maccagnan concluded. “But at the end of the day, I wasn’t in that building, so I can’t say, ‘They should’ve done this, this and this.’ I wasn’t around. But I was saddened to see them trade him.”
Hopefully Darnold can get the job done during the most important game of his life next weekend. But Jets fans may find it bittersweet to cheer for Darnold on Super Bowl Sunday.
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