FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets blinked, but you know what? Good for them. They put aside the silly stuff -- the contractual legalese -- and focused on the big picture. They got Sam Darnold into training camp -- three days late, but in plenty of time to compete for the starting job.

Mission accomplished.

Years from now -- heck, weeks -- nobody will remember that the prized rookie quarterback missed -- OMG! -- three practices. No one will remember the contract includes an offset clause (which the Jets had refused to budge on) and that the team agreed to soften its standard language regarding voidable guarantees. The Jets also paid out the slotted signing bonus ($20 million) in a lump sum, unprecedented for a top-five pick. Many bonuses are deferred to the next calendar year.

So, yes, the Jets made some concessions, but they will be footnotes in the history book if Darnold reaches his potential. They believe he can be a franchise-altering player, so they wisely avoided what would've been one of the dumbest contract disputes in recent history. With the salary predetermined by the rookie wage scale (four years, $30.25 million, fully guaranteed), the two sides haggled over the small print in his contract -- the kind of stuff that Joe Fan in Section 309 doesn't care about.

The nonsense ended at 2 p.m. Monday, when Darnold, a freshly minted millionaire, emerged from the locker room and jogged to the practice field. He was greeted by a slow clap from his teammates, reminiscent of Darrelle Revis' return from a 2010 holdout -- the final scene in that summer's "Hard Knocks" series on HBO.

"I told him he was late," coach Todd Bowles said.

Darnold took his place as the No. 3 quarterback on the Jets' three-man depth chart, but he isn't your typical No. 3 quarterback. Continuing the plan that started in the offseason, the former USC star got a chance to work with the first team -- 10 reps, if you're counting at home. He will be given a chance to win the starting job, although Bowles made it clear that incumbent Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater are ahead of him.

Pressed for insight into the so-called competition, Bowles said, "Josh is [No.] 1. I don't know what else to tell you. They have to beat him out."

Understandably, Darnold was a little rusty in his first practice, but he'll have five more practices before the first preseason game. By then, he should be caught up. In the spring, he impressed the coaches with his ability to absorb Jeremy Bates' West Coast-style offense. On Monday, he jumped into practice with no preparation time. He threw an interception on his first pass -- the first of the summer by a Jets quarterback in 11-on-11 -- but he settled down and threw two touchdown passes in a red-zone period.

"It looked like the first day of camp for him," Bowles said, acknowledging the rust.

So now we begin a different version of Darnold Watch. Instead of tracking the pseudo-drama of a contract squabble, we'll be scrutinizing his every move on the field. There's a feeling at One Jets Drive that Bowles might be willing to give him the job if he plays as well as McCown and/or Bridgewater in the preseason. In other words, a tie goes to the rookie. It will be a fascinating decision, one with many layers.

My feeling: Don't rush Darnold into the lineup unless he leaves absolutely no doubt he's ready for the gig.

His chances would've been compromised if the Jets and Darnold's agent, Jimmy Sexton, had allowed the contract dispute to linger. On Monday morning, the two sides talked and came to a resolution by midday. The Jets got their offset language, which means they can recoup money if he's cut and signs with another team. This was important to the Jets; they didn't want to create a precedent by giving a deal with no offset. (News flash: If they cut Darnold at some point, they'll have bigger problems that recouping $1 million or so.)

Darnold's camp wanted the Jets to rewrite the forfeiture language in the contract. This was the major sticking point in the negotiations. Every player on the roster has language that permits the team to void guaranteed money if the player is fined and/or suspended by the league. The Jets are one of only a few teams that includes that clause in contracts, but Darnold's camp wasn't having it. It wanted the "fine" portion removed, and the Jets relented. They can reclaim money, but only if he's suspended, not fined.

They made an exception for Darnold. Now it's his job to be exceptional.