Getty A disgruntled New York Jets fan showing his disgust during an NFL game.
An ex-New York Jets quarterback appeared to suffer a serious injury during the 2022 preseason.
Carolina Panthers passer Sam Darnold went down in a heap after an awkward sack against the Buffalo Bills on Friday, August 26.
Nicki Jhabvala posted a video clip on Twitter that showed Darnold trying to escape the pocket. As he was getting taken down by the Bills defender his left ankle seemed to bend the wrong way under the weight of his own body.
Wouldn’t watch this if you get queasy easily … but this is why Sam Darnold was carted off. Watch his left ankle.
After the play, Darnold had to be carted off of the field back to the locker room.
Sam Darnold is carted off the field
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A Sad State of Affairs
Darnold had just lost the quarterback battle to recently traded for Baker Mayfield. The Panthers had officially announced that the former Oklahoma star would open the season against the Cleveland Browns as QB1.
That set the table for the ex-Jets quarterback to serve as the primary backup ahead of the 2022 season.
Darnold is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
The 25-year-old originally entered the NFL as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He was once considered the savior for the Jets but alas it didn’t turn out that way.
A slew of injuries, some mononucleosis, and too many mistakes doomed his tenure with the team. General manager Joe Douglas was able to somewhat salvage his exit by recouping three draft choices in a trade with the Panthers (a second-rounder, a fourth-rounder, and a sixth-rounder).
Now with what appears to be a serious injury heading into free agency, Darnold’s immediate NFL future is looking extremely murky.
Looking Ahead
Speaking of quarterbacks the guy that replaced Darnold in New York was Zach Wilson. The former BYU passer was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
He showed some promise in his rookie season. However, it was also mired by an array of turnovers and inaccurate passes.
The jury is still out on whether he will be the long sought-after savior of this franchise, although there is a lot of optimism heading into 2022.
Wilson got hurt during the preseason opener versus the Philadelphia Eagles. It initially appeared to be potentially season-ending, but the Jets got the best possible news they could hope for with him only set to be out for a handful of weeks.
Here is an up close look at #Jets QB Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson) being featured on the latest episode of @MTV’s Pimp My Cart: 📸 @nyjets #TakeFlight #1JD #JetsCamp
The 23-year-old has since had surgery and has been riding around in a golf cart observing practice. The closer we get to the season opener the less likely it seems he will be ready to suit up.
Although head coach Robert Saleh said the organization is comfortable waiting until game week to make a determination on his playing status for the Baltimore Ravens game.
If he is unable to go the Jets will rely upon the services of a former Super Bowl MVP and steadying veteran presence Joe Flacco.
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