Sam Darnold still has not been fully cleared by doctors just three days before the New York Jets are set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles, and he shed some light on Thursday about what exactly it is he has been dealing with.
Darnold was diagnosed with mononucleosis weeks ago, which is an infection many people are familiar with. We all know it causes extreme fatigue and can linger for a long time, but it also leads to organs like the spleen becoming enlarged. When that happens, those organs are at risk of rupturing if someone takes part in an activity like football.
So, as Darnold put it on Thursday, he has to take extra precaution to make sure he’s safe and “not going to die” on the field even if he feels well enough to play.
"I want to make sure that I'm safe out there, and that I'm not going to die" – Sam Darnold
pic.twitter.com/147DpfyiF0— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) October 3, 2019
The fact that Darnold has not been cleared for contact indicates that doctors do not feel it is safe for him to be hit. Until they’re certain everything is back to normal, he’s not going to play.
Jets head coach Adam Gase previously said he was hopeful Darnold would be able to return in Week 5, and that is not out of the question. New York desperately needs him, as they are currently left with third-string quarterback Luke Falk after Trevor Siemian suffered a season-ending leg injury. The Jets are 0-3 and have a brutal stretch of schedule over the next three weeks that includes the Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, and New England Patriots, so they need all the help they can get.
