Sam Darnold will be wearing some extra padding to protect his spleen from excessive trauma when he takes the field Sunday against the Cowboys.
Darnold’s usual shoulder pads don’t offer much protection for his torso, so he was fitted for a specialized pad made by the same company that designed the flak jacket Cam Newton wore in 2015, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Newton wore the flak jacket after suffering a rib injury during the 2015 preseason and wore it all the way through an MVP season and Super Bowl berth.
Darnold missed the past month with mononucleosis and wasn’t cleared to play in Week 5 because of concerns over the size of his spleen. Gase, Darnold and doctors all feel his body is ready to go now, but the Jets aren’t taking any chances with their franchise quarterback in Week 6.
Regardless of what kinds of pads he’s wearing, Darnold will be at the mercy of the Jets offensive line, which gave up 10 sacks just a week ago. The Cowboys have a menacing pass rush with DeMarcus Lawrence and Robert Quinn, so the more protection the better.
The Jets have a lot riding on Darnold after their 0-4 start. He could either be the key to unlocking a disappointing offense or just another underperforming player in a lost season.
