As expected, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus on his knee. In addition to a bone bruise, Wilson suffered said injury in New York’s preseason opener this past weekend.
There’s some good news on this front. Wilson’s surgery was considered a success with the surgeon merely trimming his meniscus. While the bone bruise is still a bit concerning, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport notes that Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens is still in play. Others are not too confident.
In all, this is the best that New York could have hoped for. Given how the injury looked against the Philadelphia Eagles Friday night, the fact that Wilson avoided a serious injury is good.
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Zach Wilson still unlikely to go Week 1
The Jets have no plan to put Wilson back on the field until he is 100%. The rising second-year quarterback will have to both recover from the surgery and see how his bone bruise heals before he’s under center in Jersey.
Until then, veteran Joe Flacco will get the call for New York. He’s started five games in his first two seasons with the Jets, throwing nine touchdowns against three interceptions in the process. There was speculation that New York might make a play for Jimmy Garoppolo. But that has died down since it became apparent Wilson’s injury wasn’t serious.
- Zach Wilson stats (2021): 56% completion, 2,334 yards, 9 TD, 11 INT, 69.7 QB rating
To say that the 2022 campaign is big for Wilson and the Jets would be an understatement. He was among the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL last season, leading New York to a 3-13 record in the process.
While Wilson struggled prior to going down to injury last week, a quick return to action could very well help him early in the season. The onus will be on the former No. 2 pick to up his game big time.