Robby Anderson said he believes the answer is already inside the Jets’ locker room.
After two final games, the Jets will embark on an important offseason aimed at finding Sam Darnold some help. The shopping list could include finding a No. 1 receiver, but Anderson is confident he can be that guy.
“I feel like that’s what I’ve been,” Anderson said at his locker Thursday after practice. “That’s what I was last year. That’s what I’ve proven myself to be. People are going to say what they want to say. There’s always going to be doubters and critics.”
The third-year pro has come on strong down the home stretch of the season, making 11 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks, coinciding with the rookie quarterback’s return to action. Both touchdowns came on unscripted plays, when Darnold scrambled around and Anderson did the same in the end zone to get open for scores.
Anderson and Darnold seemed to be lacking that chemistry earlier in the season, before both missed games to injury, but have found it of late. Coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates pointed to Anderson’s consistency in practice — now healthy after battling an ankle injury — as the difference.
It has Anderson, who will be a restricted free agent after the season, hopeful that he can be right in the middle of Jets’ future.
“I want to be a part of the uprising and the transformation,” Anderson said.
To do that, Anderson knows where he has to improve. His 38 receptions for 588 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games are down from his breakout season last year, but he has seen growth in a different area.
“I think I’ve matured, on and off the field,” Anderson said. “People are going to say what they want about the past, but I know me as a person. I know what I’ve separated myself from and ways I’ve grown as a man. I’ve isolated myself from things.”
Anderson avoided a suspension to start the season after the NFL looked into his two arrests over the previous 17 months. Last January, Anderson was pulled over for driving 105 mph and was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving, evading police and threatening a public servant after allegedly threatening to sexually assault a police officer’s wife while sitting in the cruiser. Most of those charges were later dropped while Anderson spent six months on probation for reckless driving.
Separate charges, for allegedly pushing a police officer in May 2017, were also dropped.
Though the upcoming offseason — and the 25-year-old’s ability to make it personally uneventful — figures to be critical to his future, Anderson said he has “grown as a football player and as a man.”
“He’s been doing a good job of just staying out of trouble, so obviously that’s great,” fellow receiver Quincy Enunwa said. “I think if he continues on that path, it’ll be great for him in the future.”
Anderson has high expectations for himself, more than just being the Jets’ No. 1 receiver. He mentioned becoming “one of the best all-time in Jets history” and winning a Super Bowl as goals, in addition to his shorter-term objectives of building on his connection with Darnold and finishing the season strong.
Whether the Jets — general manager Mike Maccagnan or potentially new management this offseason — share that vision remains to be seen.
“[The game] takes twists and turns,” Anderson said. “It’s never going to go as planned. But it’s similar to life. Overcoming adversity is one of the keys to football and life.
“I feel like there’s always more to prove. I’m not just trying to be average or a decent football player. I’m trying to be great.”