Through the last two decades, Miami Dolphins fans have been reminded that they are not very good. They have taken comfort in knowing that no matter how bad things were, they weren't Jets fans.
There are still a lot of Jets fans who like and follow Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold. The former Jets draft pick was supposed to be the answer to their misery, but instead, he was gone three years into his rookie contract. Maybe Tua Tagovailoa can find a similar path.
Justin Fried of TheJetPress asked Darnold a simple question about what message the QB would send to the Jets' fans who still support him. Darnold was quick to say that he truly appreciates it and that "It means a lot."
I asked Sam Darnold if he had a message to #Jets fans who have continued to support him:
— Justin Fried (@JustinTFried) February 10, 2026
“Thank you.”
“I always look at myself and feel like I could’ve done a lot more for that franchise.”
“The fact that [Jets fans] are able to support me even through that means a lot.” pic.twitter.com/AtOsbghHJN
Sam Darnold inadvertently drives a stake through the hearts of the Miami Dolphins' AFC East rival Jets
Darnols was all class because that is the kind of guy he is. He has had stints with the Panthers, 49ers, and Vikings before becoming the guy in Seattle. His three seasons with New York were downright laughable at times, but you have to wonder: Did Darnold fail the Jets or did the Jets fail him?
New York has been a hotbed for quarterback failures. It should come as no surprise that Darnold failed there as well. In Carolina, his two seasons produced just 8 wins and 9 losses, but he was starting to show development.
In 2024, Darnold broke out, but the Vikings were not ready to give him the job over J.J. McCarthy. The Jets may look bad because they let Darnold leave, but the Vikings look much worse. Darnold won 14 games with Minnesota in his lone season.
Regardless, watching Jets fans fume over the quarterback's success is fun in a "We know how you feel" sort of way. Dolphins fans haven't watched a drafted quarterback go on to have success with another team, but that only proves they can't draft a quarterback good enough to develop.
"I always look at myself and feel like I could’ve done a lot more for that franchise."Sam Darnold
Darnold may be saying the right things, and he may even feel that he shoulders some of the blame for New York's failures in that time, but he didn't ask the Jets to draft Zach Wilson number 2 overall four years after he was drafted.
New York chose to go with Wilson over Darnold, so off to the Super Bowl the winner went to Carolina. Wilson didn't fare much better. Like Darnold, he lasted three seasons before eventually being cut. Last season, he landed with the Dolphins, and now he will look for yet another team, his fourth in four years.