Jets' Quarterback Zach in the Spotlight on Saturday
To no one's surprise, Aaron Rodgers will not suit up for the New York Jets' second preseason game set for August 12 against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
As was the case in last week's preseason-opening Hall of Fame Game, third-year pro Zach Wilson will be QB1 again when Gang Green takes the field on Saturday for a 4:00 pm ET kickoff.
"Aaron’s not going to play," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh before Wednesday's joint practice in Spartanburg, SC. "It’s going to be Zach and Tim [Boyle].
On the same day he turned 24 years old, Wilson went 3-of-5 passing for 65 yards, highlighted by a beautiful bomb to Malik Taylor, in Canton. The former No. 2 overall draft pick played the entire first quarter.
His 57-yard completion, which flipped the field and led to three points, was reportedly inspired by Rodgers.
"Great call by Aaron Rodgers," said Wilson after the game. "Had to give him a little shout out there. Yeah, backed up, taking a shot down the field. Kind of pick your match up. Those guys were kind of just playing single-safety man. I think that’s great for preseason ball, so you can see what guys can win and separate."
The plan is to give Wilson more opportunities to work in game situations this Saturday.
"We hope to. I’m not going to put a number on it. Obviously, we’d like to get more snaps, but we’ll see how it goes," said Saleh on Wednesday.
Wilson had his struggles against the Panthers in the first of two scheduled joint practices on what, by multiple accounts, was a sub-par day for the offense as a whole.
"Continue to stack up good days. I know yesterday, he probably felt like yesterday was not his best day and that's okay," said Saleh on Thursday morning. "He threw his first interception of camp. It's been two and a half, almost three, weeks now. He's been having a good camp."
The physically-talented Wilson has shown progress this offseason and appears to benefit from the presence of Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP who has taken the pressure off the youngster.
"Excited about his direction. He's in such a great mindset," said Saleh. "So, it's just a matter of him getting back on the horse and rolling."
Wilson is attempting to bounce back from a disappointing sophomore season. Losing his starting job, the BYU product failed to throw for more than 121 yards in four of nine appearances last year.
"I think he’s done a great job. He’s played really, really well in camp," said Rodgers after Practice No. 10. "You guys have watched him, he’s made a number of great throws. He looks confident. His fundamentals I think are improving."
In 22 career starts, Wilson owns an 8-14 record, a 55.2 completion percentage and a 6.4 yards per pass average.
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