Sam Darnold has drawn plenty of criticism throughout his brief career with the Jets, but one thing that has never been brought into question is his toughness.
When Darnold landed hard on his right shoulder after being slammed to the ground by Broncos linebacker Alexander Johnson in Week 4, it seemed like there was a pretty good chance he would be done for the remainder of the game. Injuries to a quarterback’s throwing arm are no joke and are typically handled with kid gloves. Instead of playing it safe and sitting out the rest of New York’s tilt with Denver, though, Darnold missed only four plays after heading back to the locker room to be evaluated.
With a week to reflect on his decision, Darnold concluded he has no regrets about returning to the field against the Broncos. He won’t play in Week 5 against the Cardinals because of the shoulder injury, but once he got the green light to return against Denver, sitting on the bench was the last thing on his mind.
“At the time they told me I could go back in and play, I did,” Darnold said Thursday when asked if it was a mistake for him to play through his injury, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “I had adrenaline running. I was ready to go…it didn’t hurt anymore after I went in, after I got hurt the first time. So no, I don’t think it’s a mistake at all.”
The Jets have recently come under fire for their handling of injured players. New York’s decision to allow Mekhi Becton to relieve an injured Chuma Edoga in the first quarter against the Broncos despite a barking shoulder that could force him out of action in Week 5 was widely criticized. Adam Gase and company allowing Darnold to return has also been questioned.
Darnold is currently listed as week-to-week, which means his absence could extend past Sunday’s scheduled matchup with Arizona.