EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – OCTOBER 03: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets in action against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium on October 03, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets defeated the Titans 27-24 in overtime. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The New York Jets open the 2022 NFL regular season against the Baltimore Ravens, and they’ll likely be doing it without quarterback Zach Wilson.
It’s a setback, but it could have been far worse.
This is likely what both the New York Jets and their fans are saying in the wake of quarterback Zach Wilson’s knee surgery on Tuesday morning, which revealed a meniscus that was shaved down, but nothing worse. The result is Wilson could be back for Week 1 when Gang Green takes on the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium, but it’s more likely he’ll be back in the ensuing week or so.
For Wilson, this news is best-case scenario. On Friday night against the Philadelphia Eagles in New York’s preseason opener, Wilson scrambled to his right and juked a defender just past midfield before crumbling to the turf untouched.
In many instances, a non-contact knee injury concludes in a player needing season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament. Luckily, the Jets and their second-year quarterback avoided that fate.
Zach Wilson is likely to miss the Jets season-opener against Baltimore
As a rookie out of BYU, Wilson threw for 2,334 yards with nine touchdowns against 11 interceptions. While the numbers are poor, the No. 2 overall pick of a year ago did improve as the year went on, finishing with five touchdown passes and two interceptions over his final seven games.
For the Jets, the upcoming season is all-out Wilson’s progress with an improved cast including rookie first-round receiver Garrett Wilson of Ohio State. The hope is the duo becomes a top pair in the coming years, giving New York something to be exited about both now and in the future.