Just call him Air Darnold.
Former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has been seen airing out some impressive passes to Vikings receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison this week as training camps opened across the NFL.
While Darnold has been far from perfect over the first few days of camp, his passing display caught plenty of people’s attention.
The first instance occurred Wednesday in a play that was posted to the Viking social media accounts, with Darnold slinging a deep pass into Jefferson’s waiting arms.
He then he flung a “40+ laser beam” to Addison during Thursday’s practice, according to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis.
While the deep passes were impressive, Darnold still struggled at times through the first two days of on-field practice with a near interception by Camryn Bynum on the first day and a pick by Shaq Griffin on the second day, along with some missed passes, Minnesota Vikings on SI reported.
“For right now it’s just going through the play call and going through everything I’m seeing on defense, and just making sure I’m checking all the boxes mentally for me,” Darnold told reporters on Thursday. “[Addison’s] ability to change speeds and pick an angle and stick at that angle, it really helps as a quarterback.”
Darnold added that he’s felt “really comfortable” throwing to Addison since camp opened.
The former Jets and 49ers signal-caller is expected to be the Vikings’ No. 1 QB this season even after they drafted Michigan product J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the April draft.
Darnold, who is entering his seventh season in the NFL, was drafted by the Jets with the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, spending three seasons in New York, though things never panned out the way either side had hoped.
He then spent time in Carolina and San Francisco before signing with the Vikings in March.