Sam Darnold Reportedly Won't Play vs. Bills; In Walking Boot with Foot Injury
November 7, 2018
New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold wore a walking boot to practice on Wednesday and won't play in Sunday's home game against the Buffalo Bills after being diagnosed with a "significant foot sprain."
The New York Daily News' Manish Mehta reported the news on Darnold's injury, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adding Darnold will be assessed on a "week-by-week" basis after the Jets' bye week.
NJ Advance Media's Matt Stypulkoski showed Darnold at practice:
According to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, Darnold offered few specifics regarding his injury:
Losing Darnold is a significant blow to the rebuilding Jets, who selected the USC product with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 draft in an effort to land a franchise quarterback after two straight 5-11 campaigns.
The 21-year-old earned the starting job out of training camp after he turned heads with his strong arm and ability to stand firm in the pocket. He threw for 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his final season with the Trojans and led them to the Pac-12 title.
Darnold has 1,934 yards, 11 touchdowns and a league-high 14 interceptions in his rookie campaign.
While Darnold is the quarterback of the future, New York still has veteran Josh McCown to turn to at the position while the rookie is sidelined. The 39-year-old has been in the league since 2002 and started 13 games for the Jets last season.
