Sam Darnold's Development 'Handicapped' by Gase's System, Ex-Jets C Ryan Kalil Says

Former New York Jets center Ryan Kalil thinks Sam Darnold was held back by former head coach Adam Gase.

"It was a system that didn’t allow a lot of individual freedom. It was very, 'You do it this way and that’s it,'" Kalil said, per Joseph Person of The Athletic. "A lot of the scheme was pre-determined (plays) based on what they thought they were seeing from the sideline. It didn’t give Sam a lot of room to grow, in my opinion, to make decisions on the fly. It worked in some instances, but it handicapped him in the long run."

Kalil played with Darnold under Gase during the 2019 season, but the two-time All-Pro center spent the previous 12 years with the Carolina Panthers. He gave insight on Darnold to a member of the Panthers front office when the team was considering a trade for the quarterback.

Carolina eventually sent three draft picks to the Jets in exchange for the 2018 No. 3 overall draft pick.

Kalil believes the change in location could be beneficial for Darnold.

"I had nothing but a positive experience with him," Kalil told Person. "I saw a guy who was an incredible worker. I saw a guy who cared a lot about his teammates, about his craft and his community. I saw a guy who wanted to be good and didn’t take anything for granted. But I just think he was in a system that wasn’t beneficial for him—(and) for a lot of players that were there during that time."

Gase went 9-23 in two seasons as the Jets head coach before being fired after the 2020 season.

Darnold, who has showed some promise in his three years in the NFL, struggled mightily last year while totaling just nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 games. His 72.7 quarterback rating was dead last in the league among qualified players.

There is no guarantee things will be better in North Carolina, but it is an exciting offense when healthy featuring playmakers Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady is also highly regarded after helping LSU win an NCAA championship two years ago.

It could allow Darnold to finally reach his potential in his fourth year in the NFL.