New York Jets QB Sam Darnold will miss Chargers game; Joe Flacco to start

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold will miss this Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Joe Flacco will start. 

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold will miss another game.

Head coach Adam Gase hopped on his regularly-scheduled conference call Monday to provide a team-wide injury update. Among the names was Darnold, whose shoulder still isn’t allowing him to play.

Injuries per Gase:

Poole (shoulder/knee): progressing
Anderson (knee/ankle): could miss practice time
Q (hamstring): hoping for limited
Cashman (hamstrings): tough to play Sunday
Ficken (groin): lot closer to playing
Becton (chest): good to go
Darnold (shoulder): he won't play

— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) November 16, 2020

“We just thought this was the best thing to do—as we finish these last seven games—to get him back as soon as possible,” Gase told the media.

Darnold, 23, is slated to miss his fourth game of the season, a matchup against the 2-7 Los Angeles Chargers out west this coming Sunday. Considering the kid missed three games in each of his first two seasons, the idea that four more have been tacked on (at least) is a discouraging sign for his durability.

Previously, the word around Darnold’s shoulder after the Denver Broncos game surrounded pain management. As long as the USC product could play through the pain, he’d be good to go.

Unfortunately, last week, after a reaggravation of the injury in Kansas City, Darnold just didn’t feel right when throwing the ball in practice.

“For whatever reason, it was tough for him last week,” Gase added … “He couldn’t throw it the way he wanted to.”

Whether or not Darnold, himself, was involved in the initial decision hasn’t yet clearly been answered. The Jets head man said that the decision to hold him out was the “consensus” between the coaching staff, trainers and everybody else involved.

Gase did say that Darnold is “fully on-board” with the decision, despite his eagerness to play football.

“I think it’s a smart decision not to play,” Darnold told the media. “It needs to heal. We have to give it time, and that was kind of our mindset.

“Yeah, I mean obviously I want to play. I always want to go out there and put it on the line for all of my teammates and coaches, and go out and play football. It’s what I love to do.”

Veteran Joe Flacco will make his fourth start of the season this Sunday in Los Angeles.