As a defensive back for the team from 2015-18, Buster Skrine has seen the Jets' quarterbacks firsthand across four years in New York.
Now with the Chicago Bears, Skrine discussed where his former team is heading under Sam Darnold.
Skrine returned to MetLife Stadium on Friday for week two of the preseason in the Bears' 32-13 loss to the Giants. After the game, he spoke to Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media and had high praise for his former quarterback.
The ninth-year veteran still follows the sophomore Darnold, whose 5-of-7 passing for 46 yards set the tone for the Jets' 22-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.
"He got better game by game, to make the steps and strides that he made," Skrine said of Darnold. "I watched him (Thursday) night play against the Falcons, and he was really good."
Skrine spent the 2018 season against Darnold, who started 13 games as a rookie, in practice on the Jets' first-team defense.
Before the Jets elevated Darnold, Skrine had seen the first-team offense try a pair of short-term solutions over the initial three years.
After the Jets rolled through veterans Ryan Fitzpatrick (2015-16) and Josh McCown (2017) -- who unretired Saturday and joined the Philadelphia Eagles -- Darnold provided promise in 2018 with 57.7-percent passing for 2,865 yards and 17 touchdowns to 15 interceptions while adding 44 rushes for 138 yards and one touchdown.
Darnold takes another next step closer to the 2019 season Saturday at 7:30 p.m. when the Jets host the New Orleans Saints.
