The New York Jets dealt with every NFL team’s worst nightmare on Friday night when they saw their starting quarterback limp off the field with a knee injury after making a cut against the Eagles in the preseason opener.
Zach Wilson fell to the ground after making a cut in the open field to evade a defender and needed to be tended to and went straight to the locker room after, leaving Jets fans concerned their young star QB might miss significant time. Luckily, Wilson’s diagnosis is not as bad as it could’ve been, as he avoided major ligament damage, but will miss at least 2-4 weeks after he has arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a tear in his meniscus (along with a bone bruise).
Jets QB Zach Wilson has a bone bruise and meniscus tear, per sources. He will miss 2-4 weeks. He will get a second opinion, but that is the belief right now.
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) August 13, 2022
Source: Zach Wilson has a bone bruise and a meniscus tear in his right knee, as @BrianCoz said. He’s sidelined 2-4 weeks. Important to note the meniscus doesn’t need a full repair, just trimmed, per source. #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 13, 2022
Overall, it’s good news for Wilson and the Jets, as a month-long absence on the longer end of the timetable is a pretty good outcome, even if it means he might miss the Week 1 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens on September 11. While New York is hopeful to be more competitive this season, it’s a team still focused on the long-term plan, of which Wilson is the centerpiece, so one would expect them to proceed with caution with his knee injury and try to make sure he is as close to 100 percent before putting him back out on the field.