Sports
MLB winter meetings: Winners, losers — and who needs to make a big move next
The MLB winter meetings have come and gone, and though there’s always a hope that there will be plenty of action, that’s not always the case. The 2025 meetings didn’t have a $700 million-plus deal like last year, but there were still a number of impactful free agent signings, although no groundbreaking trades.
Veteran slugger Kyle Schwarber chose to return to the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year deal in the first major splash of the meetings. The Los Angeles Dodgers added to an already star-studded roster by signing closer Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract that sets a record in AAV for a reliever. The Baltimore Orioles then joined the fun by adding a veteran slugger on a five-year deal of their own in Pete Alonso.
We asked our MLB experts who were on the scene in Orlando, Florida, to break down everything that happened this week. Which moves most impressed them — and which most confused them? Who were the biggest winners and losers? What should we make of the trade market? And what can we expect next?
What is the most interesting thing you heard this week in Orlando?
Jorge Castillo: That a Tarik Skubal trade is likely. Here’s what we know: Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris can shut down speculation by simply saying he is not trading Skubal and he has not done that. Instead, he noted this week that there aren’t any “untouchables” on his roster. Trading the best pitcher in baseball when you’re trying to compete would upset the fan base, but the Tigers, knowing re-signing Skubal next winter is unlikely, appear open to it.
Bradford Doolittle: Managers’ responses to questions about how they plan to handle the new automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system were interesting. No one seems fixed on a protocol just yet, but what had not occurred to me is that catchers are likely to be the triggers for challenges for the defense. So instead of the possible reality in which catcher value was undermined by a full-blown automated system, this structure actually will enhance it — and we’ll have a new set of statistics to track.
Alden Gonzalez: Tyler Glasnow‘s name has come up in conversations, and the Dodgers would not be opposed to moving him. He’s poised to make a combined $60 million over the next two years, with either a $30 million club option or a $21.6 million player option in 2028. But the quality of his stuff continues to tantalize executives throughout the industry, and there are certainly a fair share of teams that will bank on him staying healthy enough to make it worthwhile. Maybe he’s part of the package that brings Tarik Skubal to L.A. It’s a long shot, perhaps, but wilder things have happened.
Jeff Passan: The Texas Rangers are in listening mode on star shortstop Corey Seager, which doesn’t mean the two-time World Series MVP is by any means going to be moved but reflects the Rangers’ willingness to overhaul the team beyond their trade of Marcus Semien. To be abundantly clear: Texas isn’t looking to shed the remaining $186 million on his contract. The return would need to overwhelm the Rangers. But they are facing a payroll crunch, and with Alonso landing a $155 million deal and Schwarber reaping $150 million, Seager’s deal is quite appealing. He’s only 31, he plays an excellent shortstop and of all the position players ostensibly available via trade or free agency, he is the best.
Jesse Rogers: Simply put, that deals for many of the major free agent pitchers aren’t close to being finalized. It almost feels like the beginning of the offseason for starting pitchers, who are meeting with teams to try to ignite their market. There has been a steady pace of signings for relievers — especially at the high end — but other than Dylan Cease, starting pitchers have been slow to agree to deals. That will change — at least in part — because Japanese starter Tatsuya Imai has a deadline of Jan. 2 to sign, but even that is still several weeks away.
What was your favorite move of the offseason so far?
Doolittle: I’m not too excited about any of them so far — not that I think they’re all bad, just nothing tickles my fancy. So the bar is pretty low. I’ll go with the Toronto Blue Jays going big on Cease. Keep that crest wave Toronto is on rolling.
Gonzalez: As a general rule, any free agent deal this time of year tends to be an overpay. And that’s what makes the Dodgers’ deal for star closer Diaz so appealing. Diaz received the highest annual value ever for a reliever, but they were able to get him for only three years (and, as they so often do, defer some of the payments). The Dodgers capitalized on the New York Mets‘ signing of Devin Williams — which opened the door for Diaz’s departure — and addressed their own biggest need with the type of short-term, high-AAV contract that is always their preference.
Rogers: I love Baltimore going for it, agreeing to a deal with Alonso. The Orioles had a bad season in 2025 and are doing everything they can to change their fortunes for next season — even if there are some inherent doubts about acquiring an aging first baseman for big money. The bottom line is Alonso is going to mash in Baltimore and perhaps bring some leadership to a team that needs a veteran presence. I love the big swing here — pun intended.
Which team’s actions (or lack thereof) had you scratching your head?
Doolittle: It’s probably too early to judge any particular team for its offseason in total, but the most perplexing move for me was Baltimore dealing Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for one year of Taylor Ward. That definitely makes my head itch.
Castillo: The Orioles prioritizing a slugger after acquiring Ward from the Angels was unexpected. Baltimore does not have a shortage of young position player talent. Starting pitching, not offense, was their pressing need — especially after trading Rodriguez for Ward. But the Orioles offered Schwarber a five-year, $150 million deal and quickly pivoted to Alonso when Schwarber chose the Phillies, landing the former Mets first baseman with a five-year, $155 million deal that surpassed industry projections. The pressure remains on Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias to acquire a front-line starter, which he has plainly stated is an offseason priority.
Passan: What the New York Mets did over a 24-hour period to end the meetings — miss out on slugger Schwarber, lose closer Díaz to the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers and lose Alonso, their franchise home run leader, to the Orioles — felt like a bloodletting.
Collapses like the Mets’ have consequences, and president of baseball operations David Stearns is reshaping them to his liking. Defensive liabilities are a no-no. Record-setting deals for relief pitchers are verboten. How the Mets proceed is anyone’s guess, but let’s not forget: Steve Cohen is still the richest owner in baseball, and that opens a world of possibilities. But if this period of inaction isn’t remedied through decisive moves — an influx of talent either through free agency or trades — the Mets’ playoff hopes will end before they’ve begun.
After a lot of buzz ahead of the meetings, it was pretty quiet on the trade front. What is one big deal you think could go down from here?
Gonzalez: The Miami Marlins have been engaged in trade conversations around Edward Cabrera, a 27-year-old starting pitcher with three controllable years remaining. And the Orioles have emerged as a front-runner, as first reported by The Athletic. There are a number of starting pitchers available at the moment. Sonny Gray has already gone from St. Louis to Boston, and Cabrera could be next to move.
Passan: A second baseman is going to move. Maybe multiple. There is too much interest in Ketel Marte, Brendan Donovan and Brandon Lowe for a deal not to be consummated. It’s not just them, either. Jake Cronenworth is available. The Yankees have listened on Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Mets’ overhaul could include moving Jeff McNeil.
Marte and Donovan are the clear top options, with Arizona’s and St. Louis’ respective demands exceptionally high. Which is where, at this point on the calendar, they should be. Especially with all of the teams that could use a second baseman (Boston, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, New York Mets) or that would be willing to replace theirs.
Rogers: Where there is smoke, there is fire, meaning Washington Nationals starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore will be moved. His name came up a lot in Orlando and there are enough motivated teams in part because he’s good and affordable. An American League East team, such as the New York Yankees or Orioles, fits for Gore — especially the latter, which might have an extra hitter or two to spare after signing Alonso. Gore fits in Baltimore on several levels.
Who was the biggest winner — and loser — of the week?
Castillo: The Mets were the biggest loser. Losing Diaz and Alonso on consecutive days two weeks after trading Brandon Nimmo is a staggering sequence not just because they are all All-Star-caliber players, but because they were so integral to the franchise and beloved by the fan base. This doesn’t mean the Mets can’t emerge as winners this season. Stearns & Co. have time to rebound. They certainly have moves to make. But this was an ugly week for Mets fans, one they’ll never forget.
Passan: The Dodgers were the biggest winner, filling their clearest need with one of the best closers in baseball, Díaz. Cincinnati, in the meantime, is the biggest loser.
Free agents of Schwarber’s ilk rarely entertain the idea of going to small-market teams, but the Reds had a built-in advantage: He was from there. Considering the scarcity of such possibilities, the Reds — one big bat away from being a real threat to win the NL Central — needed to treat Schwarber’s potential arrival with urgency and embrace their inner spendthrift. They had the money to place the largest bid. They chose not to. And they missed, a true shame considering the strength of their rotation and the likelihood that similar opportunities won’t find them again anytime soon.
Rogers: The Phillies were the biggest winner. Where would they be without Schwarber? Perhaps it was a fait accompli he would be returning, but until he signed on the dotted line, some doubt had to exist. His power simply can’t be replaced, meaning the Phillies’ whole trajectory this offseason would have changed had he left. Now, they can keep moving forward on other important decisions, such as what to do at catcher and if Nick Castellanos still fits their roster. Checking the Schwarber box removes a major potential headache for the franchise. Conversely, even if it was a long shot, the Cincinnati Reds losing out on Schwarber has to hurt. As important as he is to the Phillies, his impact in Cincinnati could have been even more meaningful. He instantly would have elevated the Reds on and off the field.
Which team is under the most pressure to do something big after the meetings?
Castillo: The Mets for the reasons I stated above. Stearns obviously believed he needed to make changes to the roster after such a disappointing season. But this is a major, major overhaul that goes beyond on-field performance. Diaz, Alonso, and Nimmo were beloved core Mets and key to the franchise’s fabric. The pressure is on Stearns to ensure the jarring changes will produce success.
Doolittle: Cincinnati. The Reds muffed the Schwarber situation in a major way. I’m not sure what their actual chances were of signing him, but they should have at least matched what the Phillies offered. The fit between the player and what he’d add to the city and the clubhouse culture while addressing the roster’s biggest need in an emphatic fashion was a set of alignments hard to replicate. There is no suitable pivot from here. But the Reds need to do something — and they need to stop making excuses for why they don’t.
Gonzalez: The Mets. Their decision to not pay a premium for cornerstone players prompted Diaz to leave for L.A., Alonso to depart for Baltimore and their fans, understandably, to be up in arms. Now, they must react. They still have needs to address in their rotation, but they have to get aggressive with their lineup before all of the premium bats come off the board. Going after Cody Bellinger, and potentially stealing him from their crosstown rivals, feels like the natural pivot.
Passan: The Blue Jays have a chance to seize control of the AL East even more than they did in winning the division this year. Whether that means signing Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette or both, they’re spending in the sort of fashion the Yankees and Red Sox used to — and taking advantage of the window of opportunity that presents is imperative.
Toronto, long mocked for its failures in free agency, is now a destination for players enthralled by the brand of baseball the Blue Jays play as well as the deep pockets of ownership. If you’re going to spend $210 million on Cease, that’s a sign: It’s all-in time, and opportunistic maneuvering would pay huge dividends for Toronto.
Rogers: The Yankees. For once, they are the team that needs to respond after the Blue Jays beat them on the field and now so far in the offseason. Toronto keeps adding while New York should try to at least maintain what it has — meaning Bellinger, or perhaps Tucker, should be in Yankees pinstripes as soon as possible. If the Yankees can add Imai, they’ll match Toronto’s addition of Cease. That would be a good thing. The two teams aren’t that far apart in talent, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman can’t take his foot off the gas. The pressure is on in New York again.
Kansas shooting guard Darryn Peterson and BYU forward AJ Dybantsa loom as the projected top two picks in the upcoming NBA draft. They are the precocious cream of what projects to be one of the best NBA drafts — particularly in the top 10 — in the past generation.
Who will be No. 1? ESPN polled 20 NBA scouts and executives to get an early vibe, and the results indicate that there will be a rigorous debate right up to June’s draft.
Peterson received 12 votes and Dybantsa eight for the top spot. With No. 13 BYU visiting No. 14 Kansas on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), it will mark the first collegiate matchup between the two stars.
“It’s Darryn Peterson for me,” a veteran scout told ESPN. “He makes things look so effortless, it’s unbelievable. His shotmaking is unmatched. He’s the closest thing to Kobe Bryant I’ve seen since Kobe in terms of shotmaking and ability to create his own shot. He’s not the same athlete as Kobe, but no one is. He’s really special.”
Few of the scouts and executives polled indicated the choice was easy.
“It’s so close,” a veteran NBA executive told ESPN. “I’m saying 51% to 49%, just barely. I just feel like there’s a little bit more potential with AJ Dybantsa as a player who makes others better. But if you call me on March 1, I could tell you that I changed my mind.”
The NBA is descending on Lawrence, Kansas, this weekend for some additional empirical evidence.
At least 32 NBA front office personnel from 17 teams are attending the game, with seven general managers/decision-makers expected to be among them. (Also slated to attend is Atlanta Hawks owner Tony Ressler.)
Some teams are sending multiple scouts and executives, including a majority of the front office staffs of both the Hawks (five attendees) and Indiana Pacers (six attendees). Both the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards are sending three reps.
Multiple NBA sources told ESPN that they are eager to see how Peterson looks after missing a game against Kansas State last Saturday with an ankle sprain. Kansas coach Bill Self has said he anticipates Peterson to play, and the injury has not been considered long term.
Peterson missed nine games over two separate stretches earlier in the season with a hamstring issue. With the ankle injury costing him a game, it means that he has missed half of Kansas’ games this season. He has also been managing a cramping issue.
“I don’t like the drama of playing and not playing,” said one scout, who chose Peterson as his No. 1 pick. “But he’s a scoring menace. He’s just a killer offensively.”
Dybantsa is listed at 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds. Peterson is 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds. It’s uncertain if they will often match up directly with each other on the floor Saturday, but they will certainly be compared and debated in the upcoming months.
The core of the debate comes to Peterson’s rare offensive upside against Dybantsa having more athleticism and two-way upside. Multiple scouts and executives mentioned having both Duke‘s Cam Boozer and North Carolina‘s Caleb Wilson in the conversation about the top pick, but none picked those players as their preference for No. 1.
One scout summed up his Dybantsa pick this way: “He’s the only one who has a chance to be elite on both ends.”
Another said about Peterson: “I think he can be a championship-level shot creator in the NBA.”
Peterson is averaging 21.6 points per game in 27.2 minutes. He is also averaging 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists and shooting an impressive 42% from 3-point range.
Dybantsa is scoring 23.6 points per game, snags 6.7 rebounds and dishes 3.6 assists. He has played in all 20 of BYU’s games and is shooting 31.8% from 3-point range.
No one is debating the talent at the top of this draft, as college basketball is having a freshman renaissance this season. This draft is both elite at the top and deep, with freshman stars such as Houston‘s Kingston Flemings, Louisville‘s Mikel Brown Jr., Tennessee‘s Nate Ament, Arkansas‘ Darius Acuff Jr., Arizona‘s Koa Peat, UConn‘s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Illinois‘ Keaton Wagler giving the sport an adrenaline shot of young talent.
“It is extra deep with high-end talent,” said a veteran scout. “This draft will hold up historically as one of the better ones in the last 20 years.”
- Decision comes as ICC removes Bangladesh from tournament lineup.
- ICC chief Jay Shah criticised for partial, biased decisions: sources.
- Pakistan will play T20 World Cup 2026 matches at neutral venues.
In an unprecedented move, Pakistan on Sunday announced that it would participate in the T20 World Cup 2026 but would boycott the match against arch-rival India.
The decision, announced by the Pakistani government, follows the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) removal of Bangladesh from the tournament after Dhaka raised security concerns over playing in India.
“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026,” the government said in a post on X.
“…however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India.”
The reasons behind Pakistan’s decision not to play the T20 World Cup match against India on 15 February have come to light. The move was intended to show solidarity with Bangladesh, government sources told Geo News.
Multiple factors influenced the decision, with the ICC’s perceived biased stance towards Bangladesh playing a central role, they said, adding that the Pakistani team was instructed not to take the field against India on February 15 as “a form of protest”.
The sources said that ICC chief Jay Shah’s partial decisions had effectively turned the International Cricket Council into an extension of the Indian cricket board.
They further said that these biased decisions have undermined the principles of fairness and equality, accusing the ICC of applying different standards to different countries on its platform.
“We are going to the World Cup,” Pakistan T20 skipper Salman Ali Agha said, adding, “We will do whatever our cricket board instructs us to do.”
Agha made the remarks during a post-match press conference today after Pakistan defeated Australia in the third and final T20I at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, completing a clean series sweep.
On Pakistan’s decision to boycott the match against India, he said: “The decision not to play against India is made by the government.”
The development comes after the ICC rejected the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) request to move their matches to a venue outside India.
The BCB had sought the change following the removal of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the instructions of the Indian cricket board, a move that sparked widespread outrage in Bangladesh.
However, the ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the tournament on Saturday, stating that it was not feasible to revise the schedule so close to the February 7 start of the World Cup.
Meanwhile, under an existing arrangement between Pakistan and India, the Men in Green will play any ICC fixtures, including their T20 World Cup matches, at neutral venues.
For the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan’s matches are scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka.
The man who drafted Sam Darnold for the New York Jets in 2018 watched from his home in Houston last Sunday as his old quarterback celebrated the NFC championship. The confetti at Lumen Field was swirling, and so were Mike Maccagnan’s emotions.
His mind wandered back to Darnold’s rainy pro day at USC, all those scouting trips to the West Coast (four consecutive weekends in the fall of 2017) and the pure elation on draft day when Darnold was available with the third overall pick.
The Jets’ former general manager recalled Darnold’s promising rookie year, and years later, he still hears the echo of that voice inside him — the one that kept saying in 2018, “We got one.” Meaning a franchise quarterback.
And so it was bittersweet for Maccagnan as he observed Darnold’s near-flawless performance in the Seattle Seahawks‘ victory over the Los Angeles Rams. While he was overjoyed for Darnold, whose crooked NFL path is one of the hot storylines heading into Super Bowl LX, it also was a heavy moment for the old scout.
“I was always kind of sad that Sam wasn’t able to fulfill that potential in New York,” Maccagnan told ESPN this week in his first interview since being fired by the Jets in 2019. “That’s where he started his journey, and, in an ideal world, he would’ve finished it there.
“But it wasn’t meant to be, and he had to go on his own journey to grow and develop in different places. It makes me feel good that he’s fulfilling his potential. It’s not necessarily vindication. In our business, when you see something, and it turns out the way you envisioned it, it makes you feel good. I think every scout probably feels that way.”
Darnold, who played three seasons in New York, was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 — a move that still sparks debate among Jets fans. Five years and four teams after the trade, Darnold has blossomed into the quarterback and leader the Jets always expected.
And still need.
“He showed flashes; that’s why [the trade] didn’t make sense,” former Jets safety Jamal Adams said. “Our head coach that we hired [Adam Gase] didn’t really help us out now. He did not help us out.
“Sometimes you look back like ‘Golly!’ We had Sam Darnold in our hands, and now he’s going to the Super Bowl.”
Three former teammates — Adams, wide receiver Robbie Chosen and tackle Kelvin Beachum — spoke glowingly of Darnold this week in interviews with ESPN. They remembered him as a dutiful young player with exceptional arm talent, someone who blended into the locker room and cared more about X’s and O’s than X (Twitter in those days).
They also lauded his aplomb in the aftermath of the infamous 2019 “Ghosts” game, which no doubt will be brought up in the coming days because it was against the New England Patriots — his opponent on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
Mostly, they appreciated his ability to avoid being chewed up and spit out by an impatient league.
“Sometimes in the league, in certain situations, it’s not always the player,” Chosen said. “It takes the foundation around you that helps you become great. I remember saying it on [a podcast], when they were trying to debate with me about him as a player. I’m like, ‘He’s good, he just hasn’t been developed correctly.'”
MACCAGNAN ISN’T A spotlight seeker. He wasn’t that way in his four seasons as the Jets’ GM and he hasn’t been since his unceremonious ouster seven years ago.
Until now.
He agreed to an interview because of his affinity for Darnold and his family. Just the other day, Maccagnan saw a reposted video on social media of Darnold’s parents, Mike and Chris, hugging Sam and backup quarterback Josh McCown outside the locker room after Sam’s first NFL game — a win over the Detroit Lions on Sept. 11, 2018. Maccagnan was standing only a few feet away from the scene.
“I’m getting a little choked up, and I didn’t think I would,” Maccagnan said at the start of the interview, mentioning the video clip.
Remember when? Sam Darnold greeted by his parents after his first Jets game – Sept. 11, 2018, a win over the Lions. Quite a journey. Now he’s going to the Super Bowl … with the Seahawks. #Jets pic.twitter.com/dzZLnIP9eq
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 26, 2026
A highly drafted quarterback can be a legacy-defining pick for a GM. Maccagnan didn’t get enough time to see it through. His quarterback prodigy flashed potential as a rookie, but the team finished 4-12. The Jets, seemingly in a state of perpetual change, replaced Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles with Joe Douglas and Gase, respectively.
After a promising second season, Darnold showed significant regression in 2020, prompting Douglas to trade him for three draft picks, including a second-round choice.
Douglas, fired in 2024, politely declined to be interviewed for this story, referring to his post-trade comments. At the time, he expressed confidence that Darnold would develop into a good quarterback, but he felt the better long-term plan for the organization was to start over with a rookie — Zach Wilson, drafted second overall in 2021. Wilson turned out to be a major disappointment, but Douglas never second-guessed the decision, he told friends over the years.
There was sound reasoning behind Douglas’ decision, which included a financial component as well. The counterargument: Never give up on a young quarterback with potential. It will go down in Jets lore as one of the most compelling “what if?” scenarios.
What if they had drafted Dan Marino over Ken O’Brien in 1983? What if Aaron Rodgers hadn’t torn his Achilles in 2023? What if they had given Darnold another chance?
“My personal opinion: I would’ve liked to have seen him get a full opportunity there,” Maccagnan said. “But at the end of the day, I wasn’t in that building, so I can’t say, ‘They should’ve done this, this and this.’ I wasn’t around. But I was saddened to see them trade him.”
Adams was a year removed from the Jets when Darnold was traded, but his hope was to see Darnold flourish in the Big Apple.
0:45
Graziano praises the ‘common sense’ of Seahawks in roster-building
Dan Graziano discusses the Seahawks’ roster-building strategy, and in particular their decision to sign quarterback Sam Darnold.
“Man, if only New York had some patience with him,” said Adams, who was dealt to the Seahawks before the 2020 season. “Like, he was the guy, man. He was gonna be The Guy. He just needed time.”
The Darnold-led Jets didn’t have a strong roster or a strong infrastructure. At times, they were dysfunctional. It didn’t help that he contracted mononucleosis in 2019, which cost him three games early in the year. From 2018 to 2020, he ranked 37th out of 40 quarterbacks in Total QBR (40.3).
In Darnold’s three seasons, the Jets were 13-35. Now consider his past two seasons: He went 14-3 with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and 14-3 with the Seahawks, joining Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in history to win at least 14 games in consecutive seasons.
Meanwhile, the Jets have continued to cycle through quarterbacks, going from Darnold to Wilson to Rodgers to Justin Fields, extending the franchise’s streak to 10 straight losing seasons. And now, they will most likely have a new starter in 2026.
Darnold was part of the morass, but maybe, just maybe, he needed to struggle in New York.
“Everything he has endured, everything he went through has set him up to be the player that he is, the person that he is and the competitor that he is,” Beachum said. “It’s all forged him and hardened him to be the player that he is.”
IT WAS ONE of the worst games of Darnold’s career — four interceptions in a 33-0 home loss to the Patriots on a Monday night in 2019. The enduring moment of the game actually occurred on the bench, when a miked-up Darnold told a coach, “I’m seeing ghosts.”
It was aired during the ESPN telecast. In an instant, it went viral.
Using football parlance, he admitted he was confused by Bill Belichick’s defense, creating a narrative that has followed him throughout his career. The following week, in Jacksonville, a plane flew over the stadium with a banner that read: “Gardner Minshew ain’t afraid of no ghost.” The Jaguars trolled Darnold by playing the “Ghostbusters” theme song in the stadium in the final seconds of a 14-point win.
To this day, he still gets asked about the “ghosts,” but not as often.
“I like the fact that he’s reached a stage where they’re talking more about the things he’s doing on the field as opposed to a sound bite from a game, said very quickly in frustration, sitting on the bench,” Maccagnan said. “That just hangs. In your head, you’re like, ‘OK, how many players has that happened to in the NFL?’ Probably not many. Those are things that kind of hang around.”
Adams said he thought back to the ghost game earlier this season when Darnold was intercepted four times by the Rams in November.
“This time, it was different,” Adams said. “He never flinched and he came back swinging. That’s what stood out to me.”
In a way, Darnold will confront his — ahem — demons in the Super Bowl. His career record against the Patriots is 0-4; he was outscored in those games 123-23. He has one touchdown pass and nine interceptions, the second-worst ratio for any quarterback against a single opponent since 1990 (minimum: 125 attempts), per ESPN Research.
Talking about Darnold, his former teammates cited his resilience as the driving force in his circuitous career.
He was traded by the Jets. Benched in Carolina. A benchwarmer for the San Francisco 49ers. Discarded by the Vikings in favor of the unproven J.J. McCarthy.
Still, he is set to become the third quarterback in history to start a Super Bowl while on his fifth team or more.
A new narrative emerged last season, following his poor performance (nine sacks) in the Vikings’ playoff loss: Can’t win the big one.
Darnold should adopt Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” as his theme song. His intangible qualities are what attracted Maccagnan to him during the scouting process. They’re also what endeared him to teammates.
“He always had that greatness within him,” Chosen said. “Seeing him have the opportunity to win it all on the biggest stage, I’m very excited and happy for him.”
Adams said, “Sam is the greatest human in the world and the coolest dude ever. Seriously, he’s not only a good football player, but a great dude and a great teammate. I miss balling with him, I tell you that, because I knew he’d show up every day for work.”
Asked to describe Darnold’s journey, Maccagnan made an abstract comparison, recalling the old Marlboro Man cigarette ads from the 1970s. The man in the ad was Darnold’s grandfather, Dick Hammer, who died when Sam was only 2.
“There’s this weathered, tough man in this iconic photo, and you start thinking, Sam, in his own way, has weathered very intense storms in his development with different environments,” said Maccagnan, acknowledging “a lot of those environments” weren’t conducive to quarterback development.
Maccagnan, a senior football evaluation specialist for SumerSports, an analytics-based company serving the NFL and colleges, acknowledged that he made his share of mistakes during his Jets tenure. But he always knew, from the first time his scout’s eyes watched Darnold play quarterback, that the kid had something.
“He’s the one I never second-guessed,” the former GM said. “I always felt he was the one I got right.”
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