Sam Darnold's recovery a rare bright spot for Jets
Jets quarterback Sam Darnold looks on during the second half against the Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – You take your optimism where you can with the Jets, who don’t have many good days and at 3-8 have little hope of finishing at .500, no less fighting for a playoff spot.
But at least there was a sliver of good news Wednesday in the form of the abbreviation next to Sam Darnold’s name on the injury list. “LP” was the description of the rookie quarterback’s afternoon, and “limited practice” was about as positive a sign as any in recent weeks.
Even though Darnold was struggling to stay afloat at the time of his foot injury during a four-interception meltdown against the Dolphins Nov. 4, his impending return was a welcome development. This season always was and always will be about Darnold’s development, and even though his injury-related respite may have come at an opportune time, there’s no substitute for actually playing.
“I’m hopeful,” Darnold said of his potential availability for Sunday’s game in Tennessee against the Titans. “It felt pretty normal [in practice] for the most part. There were some times where I felt my feet weren’t necessarily quick enough, but that just comes with a couple more practices.”
He will see how his right foot is feeling before giving it another test in practice Thursday, and Todd Bowles and his coaching staff will see if he can take on a greater workload as the week progresses. Darnold was encouraged Wednesday that he’d be able to continue working with the offense, although he said there was still some pain.
Even before Josh McCown started the last two games, Bowles said Darnold would remain the starter once he was sufficiently healed. It was the right call then, and it’s the right call now. Bowles was asked a few weeks ago if he’d be tempted to keep McCown in the lineup if he played well. Darnold was his quarterback, Bowles said, regardless of what the 39-year-old did in his place.
The issue became moot after the Jets were humiliated, 41-10, by the Bills before their bye week and lost, 27-13, to the Patriots on Sunday. Even with Bowles fighting for his job and potentially having a better chance to win with McCown, the decision had always been to return to Darnold.
There’s no reason to expect that Darnold will suddenly morph into a touchdown machine who can read defenses more quickly and avoid the mistakes that have dogged him. Even after not playing the last three weeks, Darnold still leads the NFL with 14 interceptions. He’ll certainly be vulnerable to throwing more of them as he tries to navigate more tricky defensive schemes.
“I’m seeing some different things every single week,” Darnold said. “It’s a little bit harder than college, but at the same time, I’m learning really fast. But I’m very optimistic of where I’m going and where this team is going.”
The team seems to be going nowhere for the moment, and barring an unexpected late-season run, there could be major changes. Bowles faces an uncertain future, and general manager Mike Maccagnan may face scrutiny from CEO Christopher Johnson, who will have some big decisions to make in the offseason. If Darnold shows marked improvement and the Jets can string together some creditable performances down the stretch, Johnson may be swayed to use patience.
But that’s a big if, and the greater likelihood is that they continue stumbling to a third straight losing season, in which case Johnson undoubtedly will make changes. Darnold’s development will be central to any major decisions.
The 21-year-old isn’t thinking that far ahead, though. He’s just grateful to be close to playing again.
“I knew how much I’d miss it. It’s football. It’s a sport I grew up playing, grew up loving,” he said. “It [stinks] every single day I don’t get to play.”
The wait is almost over – the best news a bad team has had in quite some time.
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.”
