For anyone that has had mono – they understand why Sam Darnold has been ruled out for the New York Jets Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Furthermore, Darnold expressed concern about his swollen spleen; saying in a half-serious manner he wants to be able to survive the action when he plays.
"I wanna make sure that I'm safe out there, and that I'm not gonna die"
–Sam Darnold on returning from mono (via @snyjets) pic.twitter.com/ne1AKaNg6v
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 3, 2019
First, here is the direct quote.
“I wanna make sure that I’m safe out there, and that I’m not gonna die”
Notably – when you’re recovering from mono – an enlarged spleen is a serious issue. Especially in the case of athletes in contact sports. Therefore in reading this part of the report from ESPN ruling Darnold out for Sunday, no one should be surprised.
Darnold, who declared himself “good to go” on Thursday, was ruled out Friday after lab tests revealed an enlarged spleen — the residual effect from a bout with mononucleosis.
Now, the Eagles will get back-up Luke Falk at quarterback. That’s not quite the threat that the former first round pick from USC posts. New York Jets’ head coach Adam Gase can’t be happy about this, but he didn’t tip his hand.
“The labs didn’t come back the way we were hoping,” coach Adam Gase said. “I know Sam is disappointed, but we’ll be able to adjust and work quickly.”
Finally, I’ve actually had mononucleosis; and I can say first-hand this is a real thing. I was playing baseball and in the thick of my senior year and could feel constant pain in my side. Even way back then, I was warned of the potential dangers if I played while ill.
Therefore, I understand both the Jets and Darnold playing it safe. Still just 22-years old, he has a lifetime of football and life ahead of him. Another week or two in order to make sure he is fully recovered is just what the doctor ordered.
