Jets QB Sam Darnold to Miss Monday Night's Game vs Browns Due to Mono
By Karl Rasmussen
After the Jets were embarrassed by a second-half comeback from the Buffalo Bills, they were looking to right the ship in Week 2.
Well, the team seems a lot less likely to do that following some disappointing news. According to head coach Adam Gase, second-year quarterback Sam Darnold will not play Monday night against Cleveland due to mononucleosis.
#Jets coach Adam Gase tells reporters that QB Sam Darnold will miss Monday’s game with mono. That is unexpected.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 12, 2019
That's a big surprise, and one that will certainly hurt the team. With Darnold out for Week 2 and possibly even longer, Gang Green will turn the ball over to backup Trevor Siemian.
That's not a reality that inspires tons of confidence.
Trevor Siemian will start for the Jets on MNF.
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) September 12, 2019
Gase said that Sam Darnold will miss multiple games. So he will likely miss the Patriots game too.
A big blow for the Jets
Not only was this an unexpected turn for the team and the fan base, but it was a big blow to Darnold himself, who had no idea he was even dealing with the illness at all. And when Gase revealed the news to his quarterback, Darnold reportedly did not handle it well.
Darnold had no idea he had Mono. When told diagnosis, he took it "not well," per Gase. #jets
— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) September 12, 2019
It's hard to blame him, after all. Darnold didn't pick up an injury while on the field, so he was fully expecting to lead his team against the Browns on Monday. The news must have been crushing for a young quarterback who was determined to bounce back after a shaky opening week against a division rival.
If Darnold misses multiple weeks, the Jets will be deploying Siemian, backed up by Luke Falk, during an extremely rough stretch. They'll face the Patriots, Cowboys and Eagles next, then the Patriots yet again.