Zach Wilson and the New York Jets may have avoided a catastrophe. Several reports state that the quarterback does not have a season-ending knee injury as was initially feared when he was hurt during their preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.
I’ve heard 2-3 weeks best case, 4-6 worst case. He will miss time. The #Jets & Zach Wilson do not believe he is missing the season.
Jets spooked after Becton, which is why they’ve taken this stance. Truly awaiting the confirmation tomorrow, but fans can go to sleep with hope https://t.co/E29Y5uW21l
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) August 13, 2022
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Saturday morning that Wilson did not sustain ligament damage to his knee but has a bone bruise and possibly an issue with his meniscus.
Jets’ QB Zach Wilson has a bone bruise and a meniscus tear and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, as @BrianCoz also reported. Wilson will undergo arthroscopic surgery to address and correct the injury. Jets consider it fortunate news.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2022
Schefter also noted his upcoming arthroscopic surgery will determine just how long he'll be out:
Zach Wilson’s upcoming arthroscopic knee surgery is expected to determine whether he will miss closer to the two or the four weeks, per source. https://t.co/0I6IQxpLGK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2022
Coach Robert Saleh did not provide a medical update on Wilson after the Jets 24-21 win. He stated that he’d wait to comment until the Jets had the results from an MRI scheduled for Saturday.
Saleh seemed a bit gun-shy speaking about Wilson’s injury before he has all the information. On Monday he expressed optimism that tackle Mekhi Becton would be fine after leaving practice early with a knee injury. Just 24 hours later news leaked that Becton is likely done for the season because of a chip fracture of the right kneecap.
“I’m not going to put anything out there,” Saleh said. “Just let it play out and we’ll see [Saturday].”
Wilson was hurt without being hit during a scramble on the Jets second drive in the first quarter. Saleh said Wilson should have simply run out of bounds but instead looked to pick up more yardage. Wilson juked to his right and then pivoted to his left and dove to the turf. He was slow to get up and eventually went back down after walking a few yards toward the huddle.
Zach Wilson suffered a right knee injury on this preseason play vs. the Eagles 😧pic.twitter.com/EzTLjAT6qL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) August 13, 2022
While not ideal, potentially losing Wilson for the rest of training camp and the start of the regular season is a far better result than him missing the entire season. Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have repeatedly said that putting Wilson in the best situation to succeed is the single most important thing for the Jets this season.
To that end, New York added Pro Bowler Laken Tomlinson to beef up the offensive line (with five-time Pro Bowl tackle Duane Brown set to sign and replace the injured Becton this week). The Jets also signed tight ends Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah and added two playmakers in the draft, wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall.
Wilson had an uneven rookie season a year ago and the Jets have been extremely hopeful that he’d make a major leap in his second NFL season. It would be a massive blow for the organization if Wilson were out for the entire season.
In the interim, it appears veteran Joe Flacco will be New York’s starting quarterback. The former Super Bowl MVP has been praised throughout camp by Saleh, who noted Friday that Flacco has “got a lot of juice left in the tank.”
Mike White, who started three games when Wilson was out with a knee sprain last season, is also an option. White is far less experienced than Flacco, though he did become a sensation when he threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.
The focus, however, is on Wilson and his health. Week 1 is still potentially in play, so that's definitely a good sign.
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