The New York Jets have been without second-year quarterback Zach Wilson due to a knee injury that he suffered in the preseason.
Week 4 was seen as his target date for a potential return, and Jets head coach Robert Saleh gave an update on Wilson’s availability on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson has been cleared to return to the field this week, and pending any potential setbacks, he is in line to start against the Steelers.
#Jets coach Robert Saleh announces that QB Zach Wilson has been medically cleared and will start Sunday if there are no setbacks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 28, 2022
Saleh went on to say that he is excited to have Wilson back and that the team still has to operate correctly on offense to have success moving forward.
“It’s really just exciting for him to get back on the football field,” said Saleh. “It’s exciting to get him back out there, but at the same time, it’s not all about Zach. Just making sure that we’re executing on all cylinders like we should every week.”
Coach Saleh on the return of QB Zach Wilson to the lineup. pic.twitter.com/t650s5CywV
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 28, 2022
Veteran backup Joe Flacco has been extremely sporadic through his three starts this season. He looked excellent in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns but struggled to produce many points in the team’s other two games.
The decision to start Flacco was one that Saleh was heavily criticized for, and many Jets fans are excited to see Wilson returning to hopefully stabilize the quarterback position moving forward.
Get ready for Zach Wilson at QB vs Steelers on Sunday https://t.co/gXKHUjZ7tP
— John Chandler (@JohnChandlerNBC) September 28, 2022
https://t.co/IAVnxjOjg3 pic.twitter.com/8qihcvtJ6w
— Maddi Ference (@madelineference) September 28, 2022
Hello beautiful people.. IT IS ZACH WILSON IS BACK WEDNESDAY#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/0bOSW8E2Hi
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 28, 2022
With QB Zach Wilson medically cleared to return, the second-year signal-caller is slated to get his first start of the 2022 season Sunday for the @nyjets in Pittsburgh against the @steelers.
Last year post-injury, Wilson totaled 9 TDs and had 2 INTs.
(Photo: @DanSzpakowski) pic.twitter.com/V2HPSiCYVg
— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) September 28, 2022
In Zach Wilson we trust. Let’s see what he cookin up against those Steelers https://t.co/Hfn9CryqnT
— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) September 28, 2022
It may be a bit unrealistic for many to expect Wilson to jump right back in and play at a high level.
If Wilson does start against Pittsburgh, it would only be his 14th NFL start in two seasons after coming off a significant knee injury.
That being said, if Zach Wilson can show flashes of brilliance at points this season, most Jets fans would likely feel better about him being the franchise quarterback in New York.
