NY Jets: Latest update on the status of Sam Darnold’s shoulder injury

NY Jets’ head coach Adam Gase gave an update on Sam Darnold’s injury.

The NY Jets have been without quarterback Sam Darnold for four of their last six games, but the team is certainly hoping that he will make his return to the gridiron in Week 12 when they take on the Miami Dolphins.

Head coach Adam Gase spoke to reporters on Monday and gave an update on Darnold’s status for the first time in a few days. And while there wasn’t much in the way of new information, Gase did sound cautiously optimistic that Darnold could return this Sunday.

Gase said that the plan was to reevaluate Darnold on Wednesday and determine if he can take part in the team’s first practice of the week. The biggest hold-up to this point has been the fear of re-injury.

It’s been a near-disastrous season for Darnold who first went down with a shoulder injury in the Jets’ Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos. Despite injuring his right shoulder in the first quarter, Darnold was allowed to finish the game.

Perhaps that wasn’t the smartest decision as Darnold went on to miss the next two weeks with an AC joint sprain. He returned in Week 6 but was injured the following week in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Once again, he was allowed to finish the game, but the post-game diagnosis revealed that he had reaggravated his right shoulder injury. The Jets want to prevent anything like that from happening again.

The NY Jets are playing it safe with Sam Darnold

Darnold began a throwing regimen last week and Gase indicated that there hasn’t been any problem with that. However, it’s impossible to gauge how his shoulder will hold up in-game.

And it’s difficult to simulate a hard hit in practice without risking further injury. For Darnold and the Jets, the first step is comfort. They want to ensure that he has no discomfort at all in his shoulder.

Darnold sounded optimistic when asked about how his shoulder was currently feeling.

“The shoulder feels good throwing and doing all of the things I need to do. Throughout the week, I just have to be careful with how it feels and what bothers it and what doesn’t. But it feels really good.”

That sure sounds like someone who plans on returning as soon as this week. But the real test will come on Wednesday when the Jets decide whether or not Darnold should practice.

If he’s held out entirely, there’s a decent chance he misses Sunday’s game. If he practices and suffers a setback, the same is probably true. However, if he practices without any issues, he might just suit up for the first time since Week 8.

The Jets want to see Darnold return as soon as possible, but they’re understandably being cautious this time around.

After all, the last thing they want is a repeat of what’s already happened twice this season. It’s better to be safe than sorry.