Sam Darnold has a plan to end the New England Patriots' 10-year reign atop the AFC East, and it doesn't include wishing Tom Brady a happy birthday.
According to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, the New York Jets quarterback received a seemingly benign request this summer to join a handful of NFL players in recording a video message for Brady's 42nd birthday.
But unlike every other player, Darnold shot down the request. Why, you ask?
"For sure [that would have been giving Brady something],” Darnold told Robinson. “If I see him after a game, I’ll tell him good game and all that stuff. But I don’t want to give him anything. Especially to him. No."
Wait ... Is Darnold suggesting his participation in an offseason publicity stunt would have somehow dulled his competitive edge against Brady and the Patriots?
"I’m going to get every competitive edge I can, because he’s going to do the same thing," Darnold said of Brady. "He’s the ultimate competitor. He’s exactly where I want to be when I’m his age. To chase that, I can’t be giving him anything."
New England Patriots
We're not sure a quick birthday congratulations would have been "giving" much to Brady. In fact, Darnold could have used the platform to take a dig at the GOAT, as New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley did in the finished product. ("I think the Giants have your number when it comes to head-to-head matchups.")
But the 22-year-old Jets QB apparently has his own way of staying motivated that Brady probably would respect. Can that motivation help New York wrest the AFC East from the Patriots? Let's just say history isn't on Darnold's side.
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