Sam Darnold wasn’t in attendance for the Jets first training camp practice. Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater both spoke to the media and here is what they had to say.
On if he has had contact with Sam Darnold over the break…
We stayed in contact over the summer. I am always going to keep up with him. When you develop a relationship over the spring like that and spend so much time together, you want to check on him. I understand, he is going through the business side of this sport and we understand that. I just wish him the best and can’t wait to see him.
On what his message was to Darnold on preparing for training camp…
I think when we left from minicamp, all three of us talked about it, you have to get away from it but you don’t want to be completely away. You need to stay brushed up on it, maybe look over it once a week, stay in tune so that when you get back out here you can be sharp. Everyone is different, but I know for me that has to be part of my routine. We talked about that and obviously he was getting work in, getting throws in, staying ready. So I think the break was good for all of us and I am just excited to be back.
On if he is surprised that Darnold is not here…
No, I have been there before with different guys and I understand that it is part of the business. Obviously we wish everyone was here all of the time, but as a player, you understand everyone has the business side of it that you have to take care of. We respect that and he and his crew will handle that the way they see fit, and we will keep working here.
On if he appreciates the extra reps with having only two quarterbacks…
Yeah, I feel like I can have some ice cream, maybe an extra bowl or so. It was good work from our standpoint. Teddy (Bridgewater) and I, we are excited about it. I think both as competitors and loving the game, you come in and you do what they ask you to do and you practice as hard as you can. That is the situation, and like I said we will be excited when Sam gets here obviously, but until then, until it changes, we are going to carry the load and be excited to do it.
On what point Darnold’s absence will become an issue…
Obviously from a learning standpoint, you want to be here as soon as possible. There is no substitute for being here, the walk-throughs in the morning where so much teaching takes place, and just these practices where you can get reps. Obviously there is no substitute for it, like I said it is just part of this sport and part of business and you deal with it and move on. As a player, use it to focus on your job, being here. Like I said, when he gets here, he gets here and we will welcome him and get rolling, but until then me and Teddy will hold it down.
On if it is tough when the business side creeps into the football side…
Yeah, it is, but I think guys get it and like I said it is unfortunate because you are coming together as a team and all of those things, but we focus on the guys that are here and those guys come together as a team. Whenever Sam gets here, he gets here. Like I said he will roll right in and get going. I miss him, just because I enjoy being around him, because he is such a good kid. I cant wait to have him back, but like I said Teddy and I will hold it down until he is ready to go.
On how Quincy Enunwa looks…
Quincy was good today, looked good today and was running good. It is great to have Q back out there, just his energy and his work ethic is great to have on the field.
On what Enunwa brings to the offense…
I had the opportunity to play with Anquan Boldin and Quincy kind of has that after catch, that tough mentality. He reminds me a lot of Anquan, so he brings that edge to an offense. He gets the ball in his hands and makes plays. He is a tough tackle and he plays with incredible will. Everyday he is on the field with us and is back I think is a good day for us and I am glad to have him out here.
Opening Statement…
What’s going on guys, excited to be back. First day of camp on the field with the guys. Talk about those six weeks off you get anxious to get back here and compete with the guys. Especially coming off the type of spring that we have, so it’s going to be fun. It’s great to get out there today, fly around with the guys and continue to build off of what we started this spring.
On how his knee feels after coming back off of injury…
It’s been a journey, it’s been a fun journey coming back from my injury a couple of years ago. I’m excited to be where I am today, and I’ll continue to look forward to the days ahead.
On is this the best he has felt since he got injured…
I don’t know if it’s the best I’ve felt, I don’t know how to really answer that because I feel good every day. I’m alive. Knowing that I’m here is a great feeling, knowing that we can do something special is a great feeling. I’m excited and i’m looking forward to a couple weeks of training camp.
On obviously Sam Darnold wasn’t here today, what do you miss by missing a practice during training camp as a rookie…
You gain knowledge with experience. I was able to develop relationship with Sam over the spring and continued throughout the summer. I look forward to him being here, when he gets here. I’m excited to have him on this team, I’m excited to be in the same room as him. A guy who can bring so much value to the team. We know how important he is in the quarterback room as a young guy also. We look forward to him being here and picking up right where he left off in the spring.
On his relationship with Darnold and if he has spoken with him…
Yes, I saw him the other day and I didn’t know what was going on. I am just now finding out really, so, I look forward to him, I’m pretty sure he’s a guy who is ready to get to work. So, we’re all going to just continue to support him. At the end of the day, we are all family and you take the football game away, we’re still brothers. So, we’ll look forward to when he gets here.
On when he seen him if the contract came up…
I wasn’t aware of what was going on. I had just got in town and I saw him. I was just trying to get some sleep.
On splitting the reps with Josh McCown…
For Josh and I, it’s great work for us. We get to compete against our defense. We get to go out there and continue to expect those victories through each rep. Each rep is more and more important for us, especially being a quarterback. Just looking forward to it right now and taking advantage of it.