Jets' Darnold 'super pumped' for new HC Gase

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is looking forward to having Adam Gase on board as the team's new head coach.

"I couldn't be more excited about this, to be honest with you," Darnold told the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta. "I'm really pumped about this opportunity to be with Coach Gase... with his mind and ability to lead a team. He's a good dude. The excitement and the passion that he has for the game is very contagious. I think that will rub off on a lot of the guys... I'm super pumped about this whole thing and couldn't be more stoked for the opportunity."

Gase will reportedly be named the Jets' next sideline boss, replacing Todd Bowles. The Miami Dolphins dismissed Gase after the team finished with a 7-9 record in 2018.

The coach's relationship with Darnold, both on and off the field, will be important for his success in New York. It appears the two are off to a good start, as the rookie signal-caller was impressed with Gase's resume.

"The reason that I'm so pumped is that I know - and I'm confident - that we're going to score a lot of points," Darnold said. "And at the end of the day, that's how you win games. Obviously, people say offense wins games, defenses win championships. But I think at the end of the day, if you score more points than the other team, you're going to win."

"His mind for football and offense in general is amazing," he added. "I still have a lot to learn... I felt like I learned a ton and I feel I'm just going to continue to grow especially with Adam... I have the utmost confidence in myself to be able to grow as a player. I have the utmost confidence in this team to be able to grow as a unit and to see how far we can take this thing."

Gase will be tasked with leading the Jets to the playoffs for the first time since 2010. The team finished fourth in the AFC East in four of the last five years.