New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold impressed his wide receivers with his performance in his return from mono.
The New York Jets season has gotten off to a terrible start, with an 0-3 record coming out of their bye week. They were forced to start third string quarterback Luke Falk against the New England Patriots, which went about how it was expected to go.
Second-year quarterback Sam Darnold was sidelined after Week 1 due to a diagnosis of mononucleosis. While he hasn’t been cleared for contact due to continued swelling in his spleen, he did practice Wednesday, and he intends to play Sunday if he’s cleared.
In his return to practice, which Le’Veon Bell had some fun with on Twitter, Darnold impressed several of his wide receivers according to Randy Lange of newyorkjets.com. Several receivers spoke to the media about Darnold’s return.
“I thought he looked pretty good,” Jamison Crowder said. “He’s been out three, four weeks but his first day back out of the bye week I thought was pretty good.”
Crowder had his best game in Week 1, the only game Darnold has played this season. He had 14 receptions for 99 yards against the Buffalo Bills, which is over half of his season production in both categories. Robby Anderson was also impressed with Darnold in his return to the practice field.
“He looks like he’s good,” Anderson admitted. “He’s confident. Me, I didn’t feel like he looked like he was away. You could tell he was excited to be back.”
Anderson had a disappointing three catches for 23 yards in the season opener, but he was targeted a team-high seven times. With Darnold’s imminent return, Anderson should top those numbers, as he won’t be matched up with cornerbacks at the caliber of Tre’Davious White every week.
Whether it comes against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday or in the weeks following, Darnold’s return will be a huge boost for a sputtering Jets offense, especially if the offensive line picks up their play.
