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New York Jets name Sam Darnold their starting quarterback

By George Stockburger

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 30: Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets warms up prior to the preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on August 30, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 30: Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets warms up prior to the preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on August 30, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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It’s no surprise to New York Jets fans, but it’s the most excited they should be in years

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles officially named rookie Sam Darnold the team’s starting quarterback Monday afternoon. He’ll be the youngest quarterback to ever start an NFL game at 21 years and 97 days old and carry on an 11-year streak of at least one rookie quarterback starting week one, according to Adam Schefter.

Bowles’ announcement comes after New York traded veteran Teddy Bridgewater to the New Orleans Saints last week, leaving them with Darnold and veteran Josh McCown.

New York traded up from sixth overall to third in the 2018 NFL Draft to take a quarterback in the first round for the first time since Mark Sanchez in 2009. Since taking Sanchez the Jets have drafted six quarterbacks, three coming in the first two rounds.

After drafting Darnold the Jets traded Christian Hackenberg to the Raiders for a conditional seventh-round pick. Hackenberg, drafted 51st overall, was released by Oakland and spent the final weeks of the preseason with Philadelphia. He’s currently on the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad and has never played a regular season game.

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Darnold looks to have bucked the trend of quarterback busts in New York already in the preseason, completing 64.4% of his passes with two touchdowns and one interception. He started a preseason game for New York after impressing early, running through his reads and making smart decisions with the football.

For now Darnold is the only rookie quarterback set to start week one of the 2018 season. Josh Allen in Buffalo was thought to be the starter after AJ McCarron was traded to Oakland, but the team named second-year passer Nathan Peterman their starter for week one.

Josh Rosen will sit behind Sam Bradford in Arizona and number one overall pick Baker Mayfield will do the same in Cleveland behind Tyrod Taylor.

Lamar Jackson, the 32nd overall pick, will sit behind Joe Flacco in Baltimore but he’s likely to see playing time in certain packages.

Next. College Football Week One Takeaways. dark

New York enters week one against Detroit as 6.5 point underdogs according to OddsShark.

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