Mark Sanchez gives Sam Darnold (and really anyone) great advice: 'Move on' from Jets

This is one of those times where you text your miserable New York Jet fan friend with a caption reading, “LMAO.”

Former Jets starting (and occasionally embarrassing) quarterback and current ESPN analyst Mark Sanchez knows all too well the inherent pain of donning the green and white for a certain New Jersey-based football franchise. He hopped on the New York Post’s Gang’s All Here podcast and came to the defense of Sam Darnold, the Jets’ current starting quarterback, who the organization is harming one missed block at a time.

“Part of it is that there’s just nothing working in their favor right now, right?” Sanchez said on the podcast, while probably reflecting on 2011-13, his last three seasons with the club, in particular. “It’s not a real veteran group. It’s not guys who played together for a long time and there isn’t just a star-studded cast that can figure it out or just use their talent and make plays. So it’s really the triple-threat in the wrong direction.

“There’s just so much uncertainty that it’s almost impossible for a quarterback to have success with all those circumstances. I feel for him.”

You know what, Mark? We do, too.

He continues, suggesting that it’s time for Darnold and the Jets to mercifully part ways.

“Because of the way things have transpired, he’s got to make some serious decisions about the longevity of his career and whether or not playing the rest of this year is even worth it,” he said. “If it’s in his best interest. If this season is at a loss, which it looks like already. It’s not like they’re going to turn around and make a playoff run. Now you get into these tough decisions as a competitor thinking, ‘Man, maybe my time’s up here and that’s OK. Maybe it’s best for both sides to move on.’”

And, history shows, he’s right. The best three Jet quarterbacks ever are probably Joe Namath, Chad Pennington and Ken O’Brien (hat tip to old man Vinny T). The team hasn’t demonstrated the ability to effectively develop one since the 2000s, which is why Sanchez is looking out for Darnold here, and why projected top pick Trevor Lawrence should try everything possible to not play there.

You always listen to the man or woman who’s been through the wars with the battle scars to show it. If they say don’t go there, don’t go there. So while Sanchez is telling Darnold, he’s also telling Lawrence just as much. Until they prove otherwise, and it ain’t gonna be under a potato for a head coach, this is how it has to be.