Zach Wilson injury: Jets QB suffers suspected ACL tear

Don't play your starters in preseason games. The New York Jets and Zach Wilson have learnt that the hard way. Over the past decade, that has been the approach for many teams, especially in the first fixture.

Players in the bubble are keen to make their mark, and for some, their livelihood depends on it. So why take the risk with your starting quarterback? A good question. But the Jets did, and they may be about to pay a heavy price.

When second-year quarterback Zach Wilson went down holding his knee without any contact, there was a deafening silence at Lincoln Financial Field. No fan wants to see a player pick up a potentially serious injury.

With this sort of non-contact injury, your thoughts immediately assume some sort of knee ligiment issue. The worst-case scenario would be an ACL tear, but the Jets have attempted to remain positive. They are already trying to rule that out.

New York Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh provided the following update on the condition of Wilson's knee:

"We’re going to wait on the MRI... I’m just going to let the MRI play out, and we’ll figure it out tomorrow. The ACL is supposed to be intact. But again, let’s wait until the MRI.”

Saleh had some future words of wisdom for his quarterback:

"I think we got pressure off the right side, Zach felt it, he’s scrambling, that’s when you run your butt out of bounds, but he got a little greedy to get more (yards)."

Zach Wilson's ACL concern - what is the recovery time for such an injury?

New York Jets v Philadelphia Eagles

While the Jets are trying to downplay the severity of the injury, they will not know for certain until Wilson has his MRI. Until then, the Jets coaching staff and fanbase face an anxious wait. If the worst is confirmed, and it is an ACL tear, the second-year quarterback will not see the field again this year. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is part of a pair of cruciate ligaments that stabilse the knee.

The ACL is the most common knee injury in professional sports, and injuring it can have a devastating effect on a player's career. The average recovery time is anywhere between six and nine months. However, that is for the average person on the street.

For a professional athlete playing a high impact sport, the timeframe is often longer. Athletes also have to overcome the psychological aspect of the injury and build confidence in their surgically repaired ligament.

We will wait to hear the results of his MRI scan, hopefully the damage is less than initially feared.

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