Jets QB Sam Darnold Not Cleared to Play vs. Eagles with Mononucleosis

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has been ruled out by the team for Sunday's road game against the Philadelphia Eagles as he continues to recover from mononucleosis.

Head coach Adam Gase provided an update on the situation on Friday morning:

The second-year signal-caller has not played since Week 1, and no timetable for his return was given when he was declared out indefinitely on Sept. 12. His symptoms included a five-pound weight loss.

According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, the 6'3", 225-pound Darnold said on Thursday that "I feel like I'm good enough to play," noting his energy was "great." However, one of the risks that comes with mono is an enlarged spleen, which could rupture with a hit to the midsection.

On Thursday, the 22-year-old made it clear that he will not put himself at risk:

"It's a tough thing because you want to stay safe," he told reporters. "I want to make sure that I'm safe out there and I'm not going to die."

According to Cimini, Darnold had been practicing—in non-contact drills—with a custom-made, hard plastic brace around his midsection. He plans to wear the brace when he plays in games upon being medically cleared.

New York, which is coming off a bye week, has gone 0-2 in Darnold's absence. The Jets initially turned to former Denver Broncos starter Trevor Siemian to fill in for Darnold, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. Luke Falk, a Titans' 2018 sixth-round pick out of Washington State, is expected to make his second consecutive start.