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Report: Darnold expected to be out 3 to 7 weeks with mono

Look at it this way, Jets fans: at least you got the heartbreak out of the way early this year.

Nobody thought the Jets were going to be Super Bowl contenders this season, but most everyone assumed the team would take a step forward ... as long as Sam Darnold was under center. And then, in the Jetsiest of Jets news possible, Darnold contracted — of all things — mono.

Darnold got the news on Wednesday, and he’d already lost 5 pounds because of the illness. And now, per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, he will be out for three to seven weeks, which would likely put half the season in the trash for New York.

Sam Darnold, back when he was in action. (Getty)
Sam Darnold, back when he was in action. (Getty)

That might seem like an awful lot, particularly if you suffered through a bout of mono back in college, but as former QB Chris Chandler told Yahoo Sports last week, mononucleosis is “a legit, hardcore illness.” Aside from the fatigue that accompanies the illness, there’s the possibility of an enlarged spleen, which is not ideal if you’re on an NFL field.

Darnold will come back just fine in a few weeks, but by then, the Jets’ season could already be over and done.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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