Zach Wilson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on August 16th. This puts his status beyond the opener against the Ravens this Sunday at MetLife Stadium into question.
Veteran backup Joe Flacco will make the start against his former team, while Wilson is likely to be held out until Week 4 against the Steelers at the earliest.
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Jets coach Robert Saleh stressed that regardless of when it is, Wilson's return will be much-needed for a QB entering his second season in the league. This will be his first season without the stringent COVID-19 protocols from a season ago that upended the traditional preseason experience:
"Eventually, whether it's this week or next week, it's going to be the same story: He has to get back in there. You just have to rip the Band-Aid off when he's ready to play. When he's healthy and he feels good, he's going to play football."
Jets guard Laken Tomlinson reiterated the unique opportunity New York has to develop a 'special' player with Wilson:
"Joe has a lot more experience, with Zach being in his second year in the league, but Zach is a special player. The way he handles himself operating this offense, we're really impressed with his work."
Ultimately, Zach Wilson will have to make sure those expectations of him are met in some form or another, but fans may have to wait a few weeks for that to be settled.
NFL fans bust out hilarious reactions to latest update on Zach Wilson's injury
It's been a busy offseason for Wilson beyond the knee injury suffered during the preseason. There were rumors that the BYU product was a fan of dating his mother's friends that caught on like wildfire.
With that in mind, these NFL fans pointed out the absence until Week 4 won't be just for Wilson:
This fan pointed out that Zach Wilson's availability varies by vertical:
One fan brought Tom Brady's wife Gisele, who is currently not talking to her husband, into the mix:
This tweeter believes the Jets are going to draft his replacement:
Another had the Jets' motto for the 2022 season:
Perhaps they should if this is how it's going to go...
This fan wanted to know why fans weren't talking about Wilson's bench get-up:
Zach Wilson played 13 games last year and could end up doing the same once more in 2022. The Jets will look to develop young talent this season and continue to build for the future.
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