If the Jets are going to get their first win of the season Sunday, they will have to do it without their starting quarterback.
Sam Darnold is out for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals at MetLife Stadium. Veteran backup Joe Flacco will replace Darnold, who is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his right (throwing) shoulder. It is unclear if the injury will keep him out beyond Sunday.
“He’s really going to be week-to-week right now,” Jets coach Adam Gase said. “That’s what we were told by the doctors. Let’s just kind of see how he feels after this week of rest. That’s where we’re at right now with him.”
Darnold sustained the injury in the first quarter of the Jets’ loss to the Broncos last Thursday. Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson slammed Darnold to the ground as he sacked him. Darnold exited the game but returned on the Jets’ next drive.
With him now missing time, it is fair to question whether the 0-4 Jets made a mistake by putting him back into the game. But Darnold said he does not regret returning.
Joe Flacco (r.) will start in place of Sam Darnold (l.) for the Jets on Sunday.N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg; Corey Sipkin“At the time, they told me I could go back in and play so I did,” Darnold said. “I had adrenaline running. I was ready to go. I got hurt and wanted to go back out there and compete because I felt like I could. It didn’t hurt anymore after I went in after I got hurt the first time. I don’t think it was a mistake at all.”
Darnold did not say he had a pain-killing shot before returning, but he likely did. He looked fine for the rest of the game, but he has been in pain since playing last Thursday.
“At that time, the guys thought that was the right thing to do. He wanted to go back in,” Gase said. “They knew what it was. Obviously, after the game, the next day he was a lot more sore than he was in real time. They weren’t worried about further damage.”
Darnold said he has not tried to throw yet.
“It’s painful at times,” Darnold said. “When I’m just standing here talking to you guys, it doesn’t hurt at all.”
The Jets medical staff felt Darnold would not be able to practice and the safe approach would be to give him the week off. Gase would not reveal what grade the sprain is.
“I know he’s in a lot of pain. That’s what it is,” Gase said. “He can raise his arm to a certain degree. To go out and practice, it would be very difficult for him right now.”
This is the third time Darnold will miss time with an injury or illness in his career. He missed three games as a rookie with a foot sprain and three games last year when he had mononucleosis. The Jets are 0-6 without Darnold.
“I’m looking at it right now as hopefully he gets better quickly and he doesn’t miss too much time,” Gase said. “I think it’s a different situation than last year for sure where he was out of the building, he couldn’t be around anybody for I think it was 10 days or something like that. He’s in the meetings today. He’s going to be able to go to practice and be locked in that way.”
Darnold watched practice Wednesday, clutching a football in his right hand, unable to throw it.
“It sucks not being able to be out there with the guys, even at practice today not being able to practice sucked,” Darnold said. “It’s not fun being hurt. All I want to do is go out there and play football with the guys. Not fun, but definitely got to have a good mindset going into treatment and rehab, trying to get healthy and staying on top of it as much as I can.”
