NY Jets: Sam Darnold doubtful to play on Monday with shoulder injury

NY Jets’ quarterback Sam Darnold is doubtful to play on Monday with a shoulder injury.

Just as the NY Jets were starting to get healthy elsewhere, the football gods couldn’t let them enjoy anything, Despite some optimism that he would be able to play this week, it appears that Sam Darnold will likely be sidelined once again.

Darnold was originally injured back in Week 4 when he landed awkwardly on his right shoulder following a sack from Denver Broncos’ linebacker Alexander Johnson. While he stayed in to finish the game, it quickly became apparent after it was over that he would be forced to miss time.

In total, Darnold missed a pair of games forcing veteran Joe Flacco into the starting lineup. As anticipated, Flacco fared even worse than his younger teammate did and the Jets lost both games he started as expected.

Darnold returned in Week 7 after a two-game absence and led the Jets to two more convincing defeats. Unfortunately, the latter of those defeats was where Darnold re-injured his shoulder.

Already trailing the Kansas City Chiefs by three scores in the fourth quarter, Darnold scrambled up the middle and was sandwiched between two defenders.

He would remain in the game for the rest of the afternoon, but it was almost immediately obvious that Darnold was in comfort. As it turns out, he re-aggravated the same AC joint sprain in his right shoulder that forced him to miss two weeks.

There was optimism that Darnold would play this week, especially with an extra day of rest and after he practiced in a limited fashion on Friday. But head coach Adam Gase revealed the team’s intentions prior to Saturday’s practice.

The NY Jets announced that Sam Darnold would likely miss Monday’s game.

Gase told reporters that Darnold would not practice on Saturday and that he was considered doubtful for this week’s game. That means it will probably be Flacco taking on the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football in Week 9.

This comes at an awful time too seeing as the team was just getting healthy at wide receiver. For the first time all season, the Jets are expected to have their starting trio of wide receivers healthy this week.

Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman are expected to return and join rookie Denzel Mims to give the Jets their starting wide receivers for the first time this season. Unfortunately, they just won’t have Darnold throwing them the football.

That’s just how the Jets’ season — and Darnold’s season, for that matter — has gone this year.