Sam Darnold preparing to start for Jets, but making sure he's 'not going to die'
Sam Darnold dealt with mononucleosis, and one of the effects can be an enlarged spleen. Needless to say, that can be a problem in a violent game.
The New York Jets quarterback could return in Week 5. He has been working in practice. He said he feels good. He’ll wear extra padding.
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But one quote summed up why he doesn’t want to rush back.
“I want to make sure I’m safe out there and that, you know, I’m not going to die,” Darnold said in a news conference, via the AP.
Yeah, that’s a good plan.
Sam Darnold feeling better
The good news for Darnold is that he said he has felt good in practice and is preparing as if he’ll be the starter on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I feel I’m good enough to play,” Darnold said.
He said he’ll wear extra padding around his ribs if he does play. Darnold acknowledged that the medical staff will have the final decision and he’ll need to be cleared.
After missing a couple games though, it’s good news Darnold is this close to playing after the Jets’ Week 4 bye.
Jets need their QB back
The Jets have been awful without Darnold. It didn’t help that Trevor Siemian suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 2 and the Jets had to turn to Luke Falk, who had never played in an NFL game.
At 0-3, the Jets are in a deep hole to start the season. Darnold might not be able to save them, even if he does return on Sunday.
But the Jets will be much more watchable once Darnold, the third pick of last year’s draft can return. As long as he’s healthy enough to play.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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