“The waiting is the hardest part/ Every day you get one more yard/ You take it on faith, you take it to the heart/ The waiting is the hardest part.”
FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY—The late, great Tom Petty did not have Sam Darnold in mind when he wrote “The Waiting.” After all, Darnold wouldn’t exist for another 16 years. But the song, off Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1981 album Hard Promises, does perfectly describe Darnold’s current predicament.
Don’t tell Darnold, 21, the 3-8 New York Jets have nothing to play for.