NFL - The Athletic on Sam Darnold

Darnold's 1.64-tier improvement over three years is rare; system fit critical.

Darnold's climb over the past three seasons is rare for an established starter in the 13-year history of QB Tiers. His improvement from 4.00 to 2.36 is a full tier better than runner-up Daniel Jones among the 19 quarterbacks who appeared in all three surveys and debuted before 2024. A head coach stated: "Sam played his ass off the last two years." An exec explained: "There are so many factors that determine a quarterback's success, and Darnold's the best example of it. To get him into the right system, with the right coaches, and you have a game-breaking receiver, and a good defense. It's a lot easier."

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