Sam Darnold To Start Week 1 For Jets

It’s long been rumored, but not it’s set in stone. Sam Darnold will be under center in Week 1 for the Jets a source told Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link).

Darnold, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, beat out both Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater this summer to earn the job. Bridgewater’s recent trade to New Orleans all but sealed the deal, and now the Jets are making it official.

Darnold will be the only member of the 2018 rookie quarterback class starting Week 1, as Baker Mayfield, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson are all backups for now. After starting and playing improbably well the first part of last season, McCown will return to the backup/veteran mentor role he’s played much of his career.

Darnold and his reps staged a holdout over contract language that spilled over into training camp, but that’s long since been forgotten. It will be Darnold taking snaps against the Lions on Monday Night Football, and hopefully for the Jets, for many years to come.

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