The Jets have no plans to place Sam Darnold on short-term injured reserve despite the young quarterback being diagnosed with mononucleosis.
For the time being, Darnold will be quarantined in his apartment until the Jets medical staff believes he is ready to come back to work. The team wants Darnold away from the team facilities so he can recover and not expose the team to the virus.
All signs point to Darnold being out multiple weeks, with the Jets hoping that their early Week 4 bye is enough time to get back for Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles. With the Jets not currently planning to place Darnold on short-term injured reserve, it means they expect him to return within eight weeks.
Right now, the biggest concern is an enlarged spleen which could rupture with direct, physical contact. The Jets are not going to put Darnold in any situations where they feel it jeopardizes his safety.
“He is not going to be out there to where something like that could happen,” Gase said.
For now, the Jets are giving the keys Trevor Siemian, who they believe to be more than capable of leading their offense. Siemian is 13-11 as a starter with the Denver Broncos. The Jets will elevate Luke Falk to the practice squad for Monday’s game, but they could look to add a third quarterback in the room for the future.
All the Jets can do is wait. They will not put Darnold in any situations where it may permanently damage his body, but they aren’t throwing in the towel on his season quite yet, either.
