Field Gulls on Sam Darnold

ArticleSam Darnold continues remarkable ascent in The Athletic’s NFL QB Tiers survey
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His aggregate ranking is 14th, tied with Baker Mayfield... Darnold's 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 had debuted before 2024.
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Darnold's Tier 2 ranking reflects rare three-year tier climb among established starters.

Darnold ranked No. 14 in The Athletic's 2026 QB Tiers survey, Tier 2 classification; improved from 4.00 to 2.36 over three consecutive seasons, the largest improvement among 19 quarterbacks appearing in all three surveys since 2024 debut cutoff; his tier climb is rare for an established starter in the 13-year history of the survey.

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