Wednesday brought two developments—one good and one bad—on the Jets’ injury front. First, the bad news. According to multiple sources including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Sam Darnold will not take the field when the Jets host Arizona Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The third-year signal-caller, who missed a span of games last year while battling mono, sprained his shoulder in last week’s loss to the visiting Broncos on Thursday Night Football. With Darnold unavailable, quarterback duties in East Rutherford will fall to former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, who completed each of his two passes for 16 total yards in his Jets debut last week. Should things go south for Flacco against the Cardinals in Week 5, fourth-round rookie James Morgan will be waiting in the on-deck circle.
A bye would be nice for the Jets right now, particularly with Darnold ailing, but unfortunately New York’s reprieve won’t come until Week 11. On a more positive note—we know the slumping Jets will take any silver lining they can get right now—Le’Veon Bell resumed practicing Wednesday, putting him on track for a Week 5 return. Bell hasn’t suited up since the Jets’ opener nearly a month ago, missing the past three games with a nagging hamstring injury. The 28-year-old is eligible to return from injured reserve after serving the minimum three-game absence.
The Jets foreshadowed Bell’s likely return by parting ways with Kalen Ballage earlier this week. Veteran Frank Gore had been operating as the workhorse in Bell’s stead, though Darnold actually led the team in rushing yards with 84 (over half that output came on one play, a 46-yard touchdown dash early in the first quarter) in last week’s loss to Denver. Along with Gore, fourth-round Florida alum La’Mical Perine will also see his workload scaled back with Bell presumably returning to the fold this week.
Darnold’s injury not withstanding, the Jets do seem to be getting healthier. Slot target Jamison Crowder (hamstring) paced the offense with 104 receiving yards in his return last week while fellow receiver Breshad Perriman (ankle) is also on the mend. With coach Adam Gase’s job security now being evaluated on a week-to-week basis, Gang Green desperately needs a win against the Cardinals who, despite their own struggles (consecutive losses to Detroit and Carolina), enter Week 5 as seven-point road favorites over the winless Jets.
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