Jets' Zach Wilson Out Until Week 4; What it Means
Zach Wilson won't just miss the first week of the regular season.
He'll miss the first month.
New York's second-year quarterback is expected to be sidelined until Week 4 at the earliest as he recovers from right knee surgery. Jets head coach Robert Saleh revealed that Wilson likely won't play until the Jets travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on October 9 on Wednesday morning.
"Can it change? Sure, I'm always going to leave that door open, you guys know me. I'm an eternal optimist," Saleh told reporters. "But we are going to make sure mind and body are 110 percent, making sure we do right by him. We feel like, talking to the doctors, it's going to be the Pittsburgh week."
Wilson suffered a non-contact right knee injury in New York's first preseason game back on August 12, forced to undergo surgery a few days later. He's progressed quickly from the injury and was in consideration to return for the beginning of the regular season, but the Jets are (smartly) erring on the side of caution.
In Wilson's place, veteran Joe Flacco will start in Sunday's opener against the Ravens.
For a team looking to take a significant step forward after years of mediocrity, Flacco starting is far from glamorous. New York spent the entire offseason—in free agency and the NFL Draft—surrounding Wilson with a surplus of talent in hopes to foster success. He won't have an opportunity to utilize those weapons until a portion of the season has already passed.
Still, New York's conservative approach here—even if doesn't give them the best chance to win—is the right choice. Wilson is the future of the franchise and with his injury history (missing four games with a similar knee injury a year ago), it's important to take this slow, making sure it doesn't turn into anything more serious.
It's also important to note that Wilson hasn't practice fully since before his injury. In order for him to be at his best, he needs time to prepare and work with the offense around him.
Saleh added that Wilson will slowly implement himself back into practice over the next few weeks. He'll begin on the side of the practice field, working with trainers, still in the early stages of his rehab.
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