New York Jets QB Sam Darnold suffered an AC joint sprain last night in a 37-28 loss to the Denver Broncos, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.
Darnold was injured after getting sacked by Denver linebacker AJ Alexander. Joe Flacco replaced Darnold, but he was able to finish the game after missing just four snaps.
Jets coach Adam Gase hinted at the possibility of Darnold missing some time with the injury.
�He doesn�t feel real great today… We just got to kind of see what our management program is going to be with him. How does that look with practice compared to game? We just have a lot to go through.
-Adam Gase speaking with regards to Darnold’s injury
Darnold Struggling with the Jets
Darnold has missed six games over his three years with the Jets. The AC joint injury is something for the Jets to monitor as it can develop into a more severe injury if rushed back too quickly. Broncos quarterback Drew Lock was also ruled out for 2-6 weeks after suffering a similar shoulder injury.
Darnold struggled in his first three years with the Jets since being drafted 3rd overall in 2018. He has an 11-19 record with 39 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. While he has been notably worse than some of the quarterbacks from his same draft class (Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson), Darnold’s struggles can be attributed to other factors.
Darnold has been sacked 75 times in his first three years. That includes 12 in the first four games this season, which ranks 3rd in the league. To make matters worse, Mekhi Becton, the Jets first-round offensive tackle out of Louisville, was also suffering from a shoulder injury and did not play last night when Darnold suffered his injury.
His weapons have also been notably lacking. Since signing a lucrative deal in 2019, running back, Le’Veon Bell has not been as productive as the Jets’ front office had hoped when they gave him 52.5 million dollars. The former USC prospect also has lacked wide receiver threats. The trio of Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman, and this year’s second-round pick Denzel Mims have suffered a myriad of injuries that have kept each of them out for at least one game this season. Darnold will hope to be ready for a Week 5 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
