New York Jets QB Sam Darnold may miss time with shoulder injury

Bad news has become a common theme for the 0-4 New York Jets. Will Sam Darnold ultimately miss time with this setback?

If you’re a New York Jets fan, Thursday night was a below-average evening for a few reasons. Not only did your team drop to 0-4 after a disappointing loss to the Broncos, but quarterback Sam Darnold additionally suffered a shoulder injury.

Darnold eventually returned to the game and played through until the very end, but now, it’s believed that this health-related setback may cause him to miss some time.

#Jets coach Adam Gase tells reporters that QB Sam Darnold could miss time with the shoulder sprain he played through last night. “Anything’s on the table right now.” … Darnold has been getting tests today.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 2, 2020

The tests taken on Friday revealed that the third-year quarterback actually has an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

#Jets QB Sam Darnold suffered an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder last night, source said following tests. While it’s too early to tell how much time he’ll miss, being able to practice while in pain is a major issue. Allowing Darnold some time to heal may be the answer.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 2, 2020

This would certainly be an unfortunate time for Darnold to potentially miss some games unless you have your sights set on the team tanking for the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick. The Jets’ upcoming slate of opponents includes the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and New England Patriots.

Darnold has yet to play a full season in the NFL thus far, having missed a trio of games in each of his initial pair of campaigns. During the 2018 season, a foot sprain sidelined him for three matchups. A mononucleosis diagnosis then led to the same outcome in 2019.

If Darnold isn’t good to go for Week 5 (Sunday, Oct. 11), expect veteran Joe Flacco to be under center. The 35-year-old former Raven and Bronco took four snaps against Denver on Thursday, completing both of his pass attempts for 16 yards.