Sam Darnold will play if doctors clear him but wants to make sure he’s safe

[Broadway Joe]

Sam Darnold will play Sunday if doctors clear him, the Jets starting quarterback said Thursday. But he wants to make sure he doesn’t die on the field because of an enlarged spleen.

It seems a reasonable request.

“I want to make sure I’m safe out there, and I’m not going to die,” Darnold said, via Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “I think that’s one thing. But for me sitting back and watching the team play, not having anything to do with a win or loss, it’s not a good feeling for me.”

Darnold returned to the practice field this week for the first time since being diagnosed with mononucleosis ahead of the team’s Week Two game.

Darnold has taken most of the first-team reps, “preparing and practicing like I’m going to play.”

But Darnold will undergo more tests Friday to ensure his spleen is not at a higher risk of rupturing as a result of the bout with mono.

“I feel like I’m good enough to play,” Darnold said. “My energy is great. I’m having fun out there. . . .It’s good to be back. From that standpoint, I feel like I’m good to go.”

Darnold is wearing extra padding to guard his spleen, with X-Tech providing him customized protection.

“It’s good reinforcement,” Darnold said.