{"id":447335,"date":"2026-02-01T14:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T14:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/447335\/"},"modified":"2026-02-01T14:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T14:29:09","slug":"former-new-york-jets-gm-maccagnan-talks-belief-in-darnold-ahead-of-super-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/447335\/","title":{"rendered":"Former New York Jets GM Maccagnan talks belief in Darnold ahead of Super Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

The man who drafted Sam Darnold<\/a> for the New York Jets<\/a> in 2018 watched from his home in Houston last Sunday as his old quarterback celebrated the NFC championship. The confetti at Lumen Field was swirling, and so were Mike Maccagnan\u2019s emotions.<\/p>\n

His mind wandered back to Darnold\u2019s rainy pro day at USC, all those scouting trips to the West Coast (four consecutive weekends in the fall of 2017) and the pure elation on draft day when Darnold was available with the third overall pick.<\/p>\n

The Jets\u2019 former general manager recalled Darnold\u2019s promising rookie year, and years later, he still hears the echo of that voice inside him — the one that kept saying in 2018, \u201cWe got one.\u201d Meaning a franchise quarterback.<\/p>\n

And so it was bittersweet for Maccagnan as he observed Darnold\u2019s near-flawless performance in the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>\u2019 victory over the Los Angeles Rams<\/a>. While he was overjoyed for Darnold, whose crooked NFL path is one of the hot storylines heading into Super Bowl LX, it also was a heavy moment for the old scout.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was always kind of sad that Sam wasn\u2019t able to fulfill that potential in New York,\u201d Maccagnan told ESPN this week in his first interview since being fired by the Jets in 2019. \u201cThat\u2019s where he started his journey, and, in an ideal world, he would\u2019ve finished it there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it wasn\u2019t 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\u2019s fulfilling his potential. It\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Darnold, who played three seasons in New York, was traded to the Carolina Panthers<\/a> in 2021 — a move that still sparks debate among Jets fans. Five years and four teams after the trade, Darnold has blossomed into the quarterback and leader the Jets always expected.<\/p>\n

And still need.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe showed flashes; that\u2019s why [the trade] didn\u2019t make sense,\u201d former Jets safety Jamal Adams<\/a> said. \u201cOur head coach that we hired [Adam Gase] didn\u2019t really help us out now. He did not help us out.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you look back like \u2018Golly!\u2019 We had Sam Darnold<\/a> in our hands, and now he\u2019s going to the Super Bowl.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three former teammates — Adams, wide receiver Robbie Chosen<\/a> and tackle Kelvin Beachum<\/a> — spoke glowingly of Darnold this week in interviews with ESPN. They remembered him as a dutiful young player with exceptional arm talent, someone who blended into the locker room and cared more about X\u2019s and O\u2019s than X (Twitter in those days).<\/p>\n

They also lauded his aplomb in the aftermath of the infamous 2019 \u201cGhosts\u201d game, which no doubt will be brought up in the coming days because it was against the New England Patriots<\/a> — his opponent on Feb. 8 at Levi\u2019s Stadium.<\/p>\n

Mostly, they appreciated his ability to avoid being chewed up and spit out by an impatient league.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes in the league, in certain situations, it\u2019s not always the player,\u201d Chosen said. \u201cIt takes the foundation around you that helps you become great. I remember saying it on [a podcast], when they were trying to debate with me about him as a player. I\u2019m like, \u2018He\u2019s good, he just hasn\u2019t been developed correctly.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

MACCAGNAN ISN\u2019T A spotlight seeker. He wasn\u2019t that way in his four seasons as the Jets\u2019 GM and he hasn\u2019t been since his unceremonious ouster seven years ago.<\/p>\n

Until now.<\/p>\n

He agreed to an interview because of his affinity for Darnold and his family. Just the other day, Maccagnan saw a reposted video on social media of Darnold\u2019s parents, Mike and Chris, hugging Sam and backup quarterback Josh McCown outside the locker room after Sam\u2019s first NFL game — a win over the Detroit Lions<\/a> on Sept. 11, 2018. Maccagnan was standing only a few feet away from the scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m getting a little choked up, and I didn\u2019t think I would,\u201d Maccagnan said at the start of the interview, mentioning the video clip.<\/p>\n

A highly drafted quarterback can be a legacy-defining pick for a GM. Maccagnan didn\u2019t get enough time to see it through. His quarterback prodigy flashed potential as a rookie, but the team finished 4-12. The Jets, seemingly in a state of perpetual change, replaced Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles with Joe Douglas and Gase, respectively.<\/p>\n

After a promising second season, Darnold showed significant regression in 2020, prompting Douglas to trade him for three draft picks, including a second-round choice.<\/p>\n

Douglas, fired in 2024, politely declined to be interviewed for this story, referring to his post-trade comments. At the time, he expressed confidence that Darnold would develop into a good quarterback, but he felt the better long-term plan for the organization was to start over with a rookie — Zach Wilson<\/a>, drafted second overall in 2021. Wilson turned out to be a major disappointment, but Douglas never second-guessed the decision, he told friends over the years.<\/p>\n

There was sound reasoning behind Douglas\u2019 decision, which included a financial component as well. The counterargument: Never give up on a young quarterback with potential. It will go down in Jets lore as one of the most compelling \u201cwhat if?\u201d scenarios.<\/p>\n

What if they had drafted Dan Marino over Ken O\u2019Brien in 1983? What if Aaron Rodgers<\/a> hadn\u2019t torn his Achilles in 2023? What if they had given Darnold another chance?<\/p>\n

\u201cMy personal opinion: I would\u2019ve liked to have seen him get a full opportunity there,\u201d Maccagnan said. \u201cBut at the end of the day, I wasn\u2019t in that building, so I can\u2019t say, \u2018They should\u2019ve done this, this and this.\u2019 I wasn\u2019t around. But I was saddened to see them trade him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams was a year removed from the Jets when Darnold was traded, but his hope was to see Darnold flourish in the Big Apple.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, if only New York had some patience with him,\u201d said Adams, who was dealt to the Seahawks before the 2020 season. \u201cLike, he was the guy, man. He was gonna be The Guy. He just needed time.”<\/p>\n

The Darnold-led Jets didn\u2019t have a strong roster or a strong infrastructure. At times, they were dysfunctional. It didn\u2019t help that he contracted mononucleosis in 2019, which cost him three games early in the year. From 2018 to 2020, he ranked 37th out of 40 quarterbacks in Total QBR (40.3).<\/p>\n

In Darnold\u2019s three seasons, the Jets were 13-35. Now consider his past two seasons: He went 14-3 with the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> in 2024 and 14-3 with the Seahawks, joining Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in history to win at least 14 games in consecutive seasons.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Jets have continued to cycle through quarterbacks, going from Darnold to Wilson to Rodgers to Justin Fields<\/a>, extending the franchise\u2019s streak to 10 straight losing seasons. And now, they will most likely have a new starter in 2026.<\/p>\n

Darnold was part of the morass, but maybe, just maybe, he needed to struggle in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything he has endured, everything he went through has set him up to be the player that he is, the person that he is and the competitor that he is,\u201d Beachum said. \u201cIt\u2019s all forged him and hardened him to be the player that he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

IT WAS ONE of the worst games of Darnold\u2019s career — four interceptions in a 33-0 home loss to the Patriots on a Monday night in 2019. The enduring moment of the game actually occurred on the bench, when a miked-up Darnold told a coach, \u201cI\u2019m seeing ghosts.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was aired during the ESPN telecast. In an instant, it went viral.<\/p>\n

Using football parlance, he admitted he was confused by Bill Belichick\u2019s defense, creating a narrative that has followed him throughout his career. The following week, in Jacksonville, a plane flew over the stadium with a banner that read: \u201cGardner Minshew ain\u2019t afraid of no ghost.\u201d The Jaguars trolled Darnold by playing the \u201cGhostbusters\u201d theme song in the stadium in the final seconds of a 14-point win.<\/p>\n

To this day, he still gets asked about the \u201cghosts,\u201d but not as often.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like the fact that he\u2019s reached a stage where they\u2019re talking more about the things he\u2019s doing on the field as opposed to a sound bite from a game, said very quickly in frustration, sitting on the bench,\u201d Maccagnan said. \u201cThat just hangs. In your head, you\u2019re like, \u2018OK, how many players has that happened to in the NFL?\u2019 Probably not many. Those are things that kind of hang around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams said he thought back to the ghost game earlier this season when Darnold was intercepted four times by the Rams in November.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, it was different,\u201d Adams said. \u201cHe never flinched and he came back swinging. That\u2019s what stood out to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a way, Darnold will confront his — ahem — demons in the Super Bowl. His career record against the Patriots is 0-4; he was outscored in those games 123-23. He has one touchdown pass and nine interceptions, the second-worst ratio for any quarterback against a single opponent since 1990 (minimum: 125 attempts), per ESPN Research.<\/p>\n

Talking about Darnold, his former teammates cited his resilience as the driving force in his circuitous career. <\/p>\n

He was traded by the Jets. Benched in Carolina. A benchwarmer for the San Francisco 49ers<\/a>. Discarded by the Vikings in favor of the unproven J.J. McCarthy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Still, he is set to become the third quarterback in history to start a Super Bowl while on his fifth team or more.<\/p>\n

A new narrative emerged last season, following his poor performance (nine sacks) in the Vikings\u2019 playoff loss: Can\u2019t win the big one.<\/p>\n

Darnold should adopt Elton John\u2019s \u201cI\u2019m Still Standing\u201d as his theme song. His intangible qualities are what attracted Maccagnan to him during the scouting process. They\u2019re also what endeared him to teammates.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe always had that greatness within him,\u201d Chosen said. \u201cSeeing him have the opportunity to win it all on the biggest stage, I\u2019m very excited and happy for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams said, \u201cSam is the greatest human in the world and the coolest dude ever. Seriously, he\u2019s not only a good football player, but a great dude and a great teammate. I miss balling with him, I tell you that, because I knew he\u2019d show up every day for work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked to describe Darnold\u2019s journey, Maccagnan made an abstract comparison, recalling the old Marlboro Man cigarette ads from the 1970s. The man in the ad was Darnold\u2019s grandfather, Dick Hammer, who died when Sam was only 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this weathered, tough man in this iconic photo, and you start thinking, Sam, in his own way, has weathered very intense storms in his development with different environments,\u201d said Maccagnan, acknowledging \u201ca lot of those environments\u201d weren\u2019t conducive to quarterback development.<\/p>\n

Maccagnan, a senior football evaluation specialist for SumerSports, an analytics-based company serving the NFL and colleges, acknowledged that he made his share of mistakes during his Jets tenure. But he always knew, from the first time his scout\u2019s eyes watched Darnold play quarterback, that the kid had something.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the one I never second-guessed,\u201d the former GM said. \u201cI always felt he was the one I got right.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The man who drafted Sam Darnold for the New York Jets in 2018 watched from his home in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":447336,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,514,75841,82],"class_list":["post-447335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nfl","tag-seattle-seahawks-sports-football-team-team-statscom-361","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/447336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=447335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}