FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss two to four weeks, sources confirmed to ESPN on Saturday.
Wilson, who suffered a noncontact injury during Friday’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, was diagnosed with a bone bruise and a meniscus tear, a source said, adding that the meniscus doesn’t need a full repair, only a “trim.”
The procedure date is pending a second opinion.
The Jets haven’t ruled out the possibility of Wilson being ready for their Sept. 11 opener against the Baltimore Ravens, although that seems unrealistic because the game is only four weeks away and he will need practice time. While the team is encouraged by the prognosis, the timetable could be extended if more damage is discovered during the arthroscopy.
The New York Post first reported on Wilson’s injuries and timeline.
This is a break for the Jets.
Things looked bleak as Wilson, drafted second overall in 2021, limped to the locker room after hitting the turf without being touched by a defender. Scrambling out of the pocket on the Jets’ second series, he tried to cut inside to gain more yards. Afterward, coach Robert Saleh said Wilson got “greedy” and should have run out of bounds.
Wilson left the field and was taken immediately to the locker room. He wasn’t available to the media after the game.
He has had two injuries to the right knee in a span of 10 months. Wilson suffered a sprained PCL last season in Week 7, which cost him four games. He didn’t have surgery and played the remainder of his games with a brace.
While the Jets are hopeful that Wilson will be ready for the opener, they will have to get backup Joe Flacco ready to play just in case. Flacco, 37, is the clear-cut No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart, ahead of Mike White (three career starts) and journeyman Chris Streveler.
“You guys know how I feel about Joe — everyone does, the whole world does,” Saleh said Friday night. “Joe’s a phenomenal football player. He’s having a great camp, and he’s got a lot of juice left in the tank.”
Flacco, who started for the Ravens from 2008 to 2018 and led them to a Super Bowl championship in the 2012 season, hasn’t won a start since Week 6 of the 2019 season. At the time, he was starting for the Denver Broncos. Since then, he has lost seven straight starts, including five for the Jets over two stints in 2020 and 2021.
The Jets re-signed Flacco in the offseason because they wanted a steadying presence in the quarterback room. Saleh recently said Flacco is still good enough to be a starter in the league.
White is a fan favorite because he passed for 405 yards and three touchdowns last season in his first career start, leading an upset over the Cincinnati Bengals. But he threw four interceptions two weeks later against the Bills and was benched in favor of Flacco, who started the next game (a loss to the Miami Dolphins). Wilson returned the following week.
While the injury could have been much worse, it’s still another setback for Wilson, who came to training camp with high hopes after a difficult rookie season. The Jets geared their offseason around him, drafting wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall and signing tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin.
They lost a key piece last week, as right tackle Mekhi Becton (knee) was injured in practice. He is expected to miss the season.