New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold returned to practice in a limited capacity this week as he continues to recover from mono, but he will not be fully cleared in time for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jets head coach Adam Gase announced on Friday that Darnold has been ruled out for Week 5 because his spleen is still not back to its normal size. While doctors cannot predict what will happen in the next week, Gase is optimistic Darnold will return next weekend.
Sam Darnold was tested last night… His spleen “is not where it needs to be,” per Adam Gase.
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) October 4, 2019
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Doctors can't definitively say whether Darnold will be cleared before the Jets game against the Cowboys next week, but Adam Gase is optimistic that he'll be ready to go by then
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) October 4, 2019
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The Jets will now have to stick with Luke Falk against Philadelphia, as Trevor Siemian suffered a season-ending leg injury when he started in place of Darnold in Week 2.
Darnold told reporters this week that he is feeling better, but he also shed some light on how dangerous it would be if he played before doctors clear him. Unfortunately, he is in a holding pattern and has to wait until his spleen is no longer enlarged, otherwise he would be at risk of rupturing it.
New York is 0-3 and has a brutal stretch of schedule over the next three weeks that includes the Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots, so Darnold missing another game is a major blow.
