Sep 30, 2019 3 min read

The winless Denver Broncos suffered the worst loss of their anguished season Monday when rising star Bradley Chubb was diagnosed with a torn left ACL that requires surgery and ends his season.

The fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Chubb was injured in the Broncos’ 26-24 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday although he finished the game and forced a fumble on the last series. The ball bounced right back to quarterback Gardner Minshew, who then drove the Jags for the game-winning field goal as time expired two weeks after the Bears had a walk-off field goal in Denver.

“He felt good enough to come back in and actually he played that last series pretty damn well, had some really good pass rushes, caused that fumble that we weren’t able to get,” coach Vic Fangio said. “So, he was as surprised, I think, as anybody this morning when he woke up feeling the way he did.”

In the postgame locker room, Chubb blamed cramps for his being on and off the field in the fourth quarter, although he was seen limping around the sideline and going into the medical tent.

Darnold resumes throwing

Sam Darnold can finally start throwing footballs again. When the New York Jets quarterback will be able to do so in a game remains uncertain.

Darnold was cleared Monday for non-contact activities, but he can’t yet lift weights and declined to say whether the swelling of his spleen – a serious symptom of mononucleosis – has dissipated.

“I’ll let kind of the specifics come out when they do, and when Coach (Adam) Gase wants to disclose that information,” Darnold said during a conference call. “For me, it’s just doing what the doctors say. It’s out of my control.

“My spleen, at this point, is gonna do what it’s gonna do.”

Now, that’s a statement neither Darnold nor Gase – or anyone else around the Jets – ever expected to hear.

But, it has been that type of start to the season for New York, which is 0-3 and coming off a bye-week break that did little to clarify the health statuses of several key players.

Tate rejoins Giants

The extra space wide receiver Sterling Shepard had around his dressing area for the past month in the New York Giants’ locker room disappeared early Monday morning.

A couple of minutes after 8 a.m., veteran wideout Golden Tate III walked into the room for the first time since starting a four-game suspension for using performance-enhancers in the offseason.

Tate had tweeted about showing up at a minute past midnight, but his wife convinced him to spend the night at home.

With Shepard talking to the media during its availability with the players, Tate wandered into the scrum and announced: “I’m back.”

It’s actually good news for the Giants (2-2), who have won two straight and will face a tough test at MetLife Stadium on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings (2-2).