Three years after drafting him as a franchise savior, the Jets shipped quarterback Sam Darnold to the Panthers in a trade that clears the way for the team to draft his replacement in three weeks.

The Jets agreed to a trade with Carolina on Monday for Darnold in exchange for three draft picks — a sixth-round pick this year and second-round and fourth-round picks in 2022.

The trade ends months of speculation about what the Jets might do with Darnold, the player they drafted No. 3 overall in 2018. It closes the book on Darnold, another swing and a miss by a franchise that has been searching for an answer at quarterback since Joe Namath left 45 years ago.

The move also clears the way for the team to draft BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2-overall pick on April 29. It is a move those around the NFL have been predicting for weeks. If the Jets do select Wilson or any quarterback No. 2 overall, they will become the first team in the common draft era (since 1967) to take two quarterbacks in the top three in a four-year span, according to ESPN.

It is a bold move for general manager Joe Douglas, who now has traded the team’s first-round picks from 2015 (Leonard Williams), 2017 (Jamal Adams) and 2018 (Darnold) during his two years on the job. Douglas will put his stamp on the roster with this trade and the draft choice in three weeks.

The trade arms the Jets with 21 draft choices in the next two drafts, seven in the first two rounds. Douglas needs to hit on those picks or use them as chips in a trade for veteran players to rebuild a roster that went 2-14 last year and has not made the playoffs in 10 years.

The Jets fielded calls on Darnold from many teams around the league this offseason, according to a source. The Panthers emerged as the front-runners over the last week, with their efforts intensifying after the 49ers traded up to No. 3 overall, a clear sign they are taking a quarterback.

The Jets and Panthers continued to have discussions through the weekend until landing on the trade compensation they agreed to Monday. The Jets had thoughts of waiting until draft weekend to make the trade but saw the number of interested teams dwindle as the offseason went on and felt Carolina’s offer was a good value.

A deal like this may have occurred earlier in the offseason in a normal year, but the Jets wanted to wait until after they had a chance to evaluate all of the college quarterbacks before making a trade. They had been unable to scout the quarterbacks in person during the season because of COVID-19 restrictions and the scouting combine was canceled this year.

There was plenty of internal debate about whether to move Darnold, according to sources. One source said new coach Robert Saleh was initially in favor of keeping Darnold, but this was ultimately Douglas’ call and Saleh is on board with it.

The Jets also seriously considered keeping Darnold on the roster along with Wilson or another quarterback chosen at No. 2. They ultimately felt like it was better for everyone to get a fresh start and avoid a quarterback controversy.

“I want to publicly acknowledge the commitment, dedication, and professionalism Sam displayed while with the Jets. He is a tough-minded, talented football player whose NFL story has not been written yet,” Douglas said in a statement. “While all these things are true, this move is in the short- and long-term best interests for both this team and him.

“We thank Sam for all of his work on behalf of this organization and wish him well as he continues his career.”

The 23-year-old Darnold’s Jets career will be remembered for flashes of brilliance mixed in with long stretches of inconsistent play, head-scratching decisions and injuries and an illness that kept him off the field for 10 games. In 38 games with the Jets, he threw 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions, the fifth-most in the past three years. Since 2018, there have been 42 quarterbacks who have thrown at least 500 passes. Darnold’s QB rating of 78.6 is 41st out of those 42.

It was not all Darnold’s fault, of course. The Jets did a terrible job of surrounding him with talent both on the offensive line and at skill positions. He has had 56 different starting offensive teammates in three years, none Pro Bowlers. Adam Gase admitted he failed Darnold during his two years as head coach.

The Panthers will now try to revive Darnold’s career. They reportedly will pick up his $18 million fifth-year option for 2022, giving them two years to evaluate Darnold.

The Jets will now start over at quarterback again.