Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NFL coach thinks Sam Darnold 'stinks'

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 3/17/21

There has been a lot of trade talk surrounding Sam Darnold recently, but apparently many are not too high on the quarterback.

Fansided NFL Insider Matt Lombardo says he checked with various sources around the league about Darnold. According to Lombardo, the general consensus was that Darnold is overrated and his hype doesn’t match his skills. One offensive coach even told Lombardo that Darnold “stinks.”

Asking around on Sam Darnold, and the sense I get from scouts, coaches, and executives is that the perception of him among fans and some in media is significantly higher than of those inside the league.

“He stinks, bro” says one offensive coach. #Jets #NFL

— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardoNFL) March 17, 2021

That’s harsh.

Darnold received hype in college because he played for Pac-12 power USC. He even became the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft. However, he has dealt with mono, a foot injury and a shoulder injury in his first three seasons. He has also played on poor teams and was coached by Adam Gase, who was a mess in New York.

In 38 career games, Darnold has passed for 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. There are some around the league who probably believe they can revive Darnold’s career. They probably see what Ryan Tannehill did in Tennessee compared to how he played under Gase in Miami. There’s one team out there that appears to like Darnold. But for every team that likes him, it sounds like many more don’t think too highly of the 23-year-old quarterback.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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