Jets, Giants must proceed with caution with Sam Darnold, Saquon Barkley
Jets quarterback Sam Darnold looks to throw during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 8. Credit: Lee S. Weissman/Lee S. Weissman
This was a good day for the Jets and Giants.
There was Sam Darnold, walking onto the practice field in a red No. 14 jersey, the first time the Jets’ quarterback practiced since being diagnosed with mononucleosis on Sept. 12.
And there was Saquon Barkley, who did some running and cutting drills on the side during practice and hardly looked like a player who might miss up to two months because of an ankle injury he suffered in the Giants’ 32-31 win over the Buccaneers on Sept. 22.
These are two of the brightest young stars in New York football, and their presence in the lineup is crucial to the Jets and Giants. Darnold and Barkley became indispensable members of the Jets and Giants the night of April 26 in Dallas, when their names were announced in succession by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at the draft. And their eventual return to action will undoubtedly figure into what happens in the coming weeks.
And the coming years.
Pay particular attention to that part about the coming years.
Both players are anxious to get back on the field as soon as possible, and so are their teammates and coaches. In Darnold’s case, it’s urgent that he get back in the lineup, because the entire 2019 season may depend on it. At 0-3, it’s getting late early, as Yogi Berra liked to say, and the Jets cannot absorb many more losses before they lose all realistic hope of making a playoff run.
They have played the last two-plus games with former practice squad quarterback Luke Falk, who has been completely overmatched, as you’d expect. They might not have beaten the Browns or Patriots even with Darnold in the lineup, but they didn’t stand a chance with Falk.
And now comes the tricky call about when to put Darnold back in.
On Monday, coach Adam Gase gave the strong impression it was too soon for Darnold to play. But by Wednesday, when Gase met with reporters, he sounded a much more optimistic tone.
“I like our odds better than what they’ve been,” Gase said. “I like the fact that things have looked and progressed in the right direction.”
But Darnold is still unable to lift weights and still can’t be hit because doctors want to make sure he isn’t at risk for injuring his spleen, which becomes enlarged due to the illness. Darnold has no control over that aspect of his recovery; as he famously said earlier in the week, “My spleen is going to do what it’s going to do.” Bill Belichick couldn’t have said it any better.
Gase insists the decision about whether Darnold plays on Sunday in Philadelphia will lean heavily on what the team’s doctors advise. And that had better be the case, because no amount of desperation on the Jets’ part should result in Darnold seeing the field until he’s absolutely ready.
Discretion is the better part of valor in this case, and if you ask me, it’s simply too risky to put him out there. Not only does Darnold need more time to get back into football shape and see if he can absorb the physical punishment required to play his position. But to put him out there against a team as physical as the Eagles, who boast one of the NFL’s best defensive fronts, is foolhardy. Especially when the Jets’ offensive line has been so brutally inconsistent so far this season.
Remember, this is more about the long-term future and not any short-term gains. No use risking a setback that could leave Darnold even worse off. Sit him another week, take your lumps against the Eagles, and move on. The Jets next face the Cowboys at home in Week 6.
Barkley’s return is far less problematic, but coach Pat Shurmur certainly has to be careful in not letting his prized running back play before he’s ready. Barkley will surely be itching to return, but if Shurmur needs any reminder about a star player returning too soon from an ankle injury, he need only refer back to the start of the 2017 season. Odell Beckham Jr. came back from an ankle injury in the preseason and wound up suffering a season-ending injury to the same ankle in an early-season game against the Chargers.
Saquon Barkley of the Giants after injuring his ankle against the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sept. 22 in Tampa. Credit: Getty Images/Mike Ehrmann
The Giants have won their last two games since Barkley was injured, and while his presence unquestionably makes them a better team, the coach and the player must resist the temptation to get back too quickly. If that means missing another game or two – or even three or four – so be it.
So yes, a good day indeed on Wednesday for New York football.
But a reminder for both teams when it comes to their respective star players: Proceed with caution.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
