DON’T SELL GANG COACH GIG SHORT

Darnold participates in practice for first time since foot injury

Sam Darnold is no longer just a spectator.

The Jets quarterback participated in positional drills and some team periods Wednesday for the first time since straining his right foot in Week 9. He was back in pads last week coming out of the bye but had not practiced until Wednesday, when he was officially listed as limited.

“Felt really good today, got some action, so just going to continue to do what I can to get better and see where we go from here,” Darnold said.

Though Todd Bowles did not shed any insight on the rookie’s chances of playing Sunday against the Titans — “We’ll see how he progresses,” the coach said — Darnold said he was “hopeful.” His foot was “a little sore” shortly after practice, but Darnold was anxious to see how it would feel on Thursday.

“Coming back after today and actually practicing on it, being on it today and cutting and doing my drops, it’ll be interesting to see how it feels [Thursday],” Darnold said. “I’m pretty optimistic about it though.”

Josh McCown, who has started the past two games, was taking the first snap in each quarterback drill, but Darnold filled in behind him. McCown was also limited in practice because of back and thumb injuries but said he was “coming along.”

“It was good having him back out there,” McCown said. “Missed him. Obviously for him as he continues to grow and get better, every rep and every opportunity to be out there is critical.”

With five games left in his rookie season, a healthy return to the field would allow Darnold the chance to finish on a positive note. In his first nine games he completed 159-of-289 passes for 1,934 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His worst outing of the season came in his last game, when he threw four interceptions in a 13-6 loss to the Dolphins.

In another lost season for the Jets, Darnold’s development is of utmost importance heading into 2019. Only so much of that can be done through mental reps on the sideline.

“I want to play really bad, but at the same time, I know that it is a process,” Darnold said. “I just gotta go about protocol and understand exactly what I need to do to get better. We’ll go from there.”

Darnold said he was still focused on team goals over the final five games, though the Jets’ playoff hopes have all but vanished since he last took the field. But his time off has also allowed him to pick up some notes on how McCown handled the offense, which he hopes to take with him when he returns.

“Every time Josh gets a chance to go in there and play, I learn a ton from him,” Darnold said. “I understand sometimes things might seem a little fast to me and then when Josh gets in there, it’s making quicker decisions.”

Asked if the break could benefit Darnold, Bowles said it was too early to tell.

“We won’t know until he gets back out there,” Bowles said. “It can benefit mentally, but it won’t show up until he physically plays and then tries to apply it that way.”

Darnold did not seem worried about his conditioning after three weeks without action. Even when he wasn’t practicing, he was spending time using an anti-gravity treadmill, he said.

There was some rust to shake off Wednesday for the 21-yearold, but it was a welcome change from his temporary bystander status.

“It felt pretty normal for the most part,” Darnold said. “There were some times where I felt like my feet weren’t necessarily quick enough, but that just comes with a couple more practices. But I felt really good for the most part.”