New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is getting ready to enter his third season with the NFL.

It will be a season with some new challenges as players and fans deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Right now, I think we’re just preparing how we would normally prepare. Obviously, you know, not in person. But we’re still going through things as normal and we’ve got a pretty good setup with how we’ve been meeting. So, everything is good,” Darnold says. “Obviously the interaction with my teammates isn’t there, but I’ve been texting and FaceTiming guys as much as I can.”

Darnold played only 13 games last season after coming down with a case of Mono. He threw for more than 3,000 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The Jets finished with a 7-9 record.

“Throughout the back half of the season, I thought I improved on a lot of different things. I thought I got more consistent and was able to get more comfortable with the offense and I think there’s obviously room to be better for this next year,” Darnold says.

The Jets' newest NFL draft picks will give Darnold some new offensive teammates – teammates like tackle Mekhi Becton and receiver Denzel Mims.

“Becton is a freak athlete and obviously a large human, so, I’m very excited to have him on my team. And then Denzel – just watching his highlights and watching some plays that he made last year to Baylor, he’s a great playmaker. He’s got a lot of potential and we’re excited to have him,” Darnold says.

As for the AFC East – The New England Patriots have won the division for the last 11 years. But even with superstar Tom Brady leaving team, Darnold says that it does not change his preparation.

“Even though one of the greatest – if now the greatest players of all time – left the organization, we’re not going to take them any more lightly,” he says.

The 2020 NFL schedule will be released Thursday at 8 p.m.