Sam Darnold Out for Jets vs. Chargers with Shoulder Injury; Joe Flacco to Start

Reed Hoffmann/Associated Press

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold will miss the team’s Sunday game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of the shoulder injury that has set him back all season, according to head coach Adam Gase. 

Darnold remains week-to-week and a move to injured reserve “has not been discussed,” said ESPN’s Rich Cimini, who reported Gase said it was a “consensus” decision to sit Darnold on Sunday.

Joe Flacco will get the start in Week 11, his fourth of the season. He started for the winless Jets in losses to the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, the latter of which came before the team’s Week 10 bye. 

The 23-year-old Darnold sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder during the team’s Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos, and while he returned in Week 7 after missing two games, he was sidelined for Week 9 after he aggravated the injury the week before.

The winless Jets have looked to veteran Joe Flacco in the absence of their 2018 third-overall pick, but the 35-year-old has only thrown four touchdowns through four appearances. 

Darnold has posted a 58.6 completion percentage on 112-for-191 passing, throwing for 1,045 yards and just three touchdowns in his six outings. He has been intercepted six times and taken down on 19 occasions.

After a losing rookie season, in which he posted 2,865 yards and 17 touchdowns through 13 games, Darnold seemed to turn things around slightly last year when he recorded 3,024 yards with 19 scores and a 61.9 completion percentage (273-for-441) for the 7-6 Jets. 

Regardless of injury, the USC product’s days in green and white could be numbered as the Jets continue to struggle.

If they stay on their current trajectory, they could turn to Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 draft, though drafting a quarterback up high—as they did with Darnold in 2018—hasn’t paid off for them.