The New York Jets were hoping that a Monday doctor’s visit would fully clear Sam Darnold to play in Week 5, but that didn’t exactly happen.
Instead, head coach Adam Gase shared with the media that Darnold has been cleared for non-contact work but hasn’t fully been cleared yet. He could still play on Sunday against the Philadlephia Eagles, but that has not been determined yet.
Given the fact that the big concern at this point is Darnold’s enlarged spleen stemming from mononucleosis, and that he is not cleared for any contact, we can surmise that the spleen is still a concern.
The Jets would love to have Darnold back, to be sure. In his stead, Trevor Siemian suffered a season-ending ankle injury after a nasty hit by Myles Garrett, and Luke Falk has struggled, putting it mildly.
New York enters Week 5 with a record of 0-3 after having a bye in Week 4.