New York Jets coach Robert Saleh not ready to rule out Zach Wilson for first week after QB knee surgery

Florham Park, NJ – Although all signs point to Joe Flacco As the New York Jets’ season-opening midfielder, coach Robert Saleh refused to be disqualified Zach Wilsonwho underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles.

“I don’t know if I have an opinion on that,” Saleh said Thursday, commenting on whether he expects Flacco to start against the Baltimore Ravens in the opening — his first public comments since Wilson’s procedure. “If Zach is ready to play, it will be the start of week one. If not, then Joe will. That’s no secret.

“We’ll take it by how Zack looks, how he feels, how he moves, what the doctors tell us. Whenever that moment is, he’s going to step into the field.”

Wilson flew back from Los Angeles on Wednesday night and returned to the team facility Thursday morning. Saleh said he is “already walking” and is looking forward to starting his rehabilitation.

The calendar is working against Wilson, who tore his meniscus and suffered a bruised bone last Friday night in a pre-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets open the season in 24 days against the Baltimore Ravens. The sources said the initial schedule was two to four weeks and no additional arthroscopic damage was detected.

But the Jets plan to be cautious with the sophomore quarterback, who got three weeks of training last season before returning to the squad after hitting a PCL in the same knee – and that was a non-surgical injury.

“We’re going to do his job right in terms of making sure he’s 100% healthy,” Saleh said.

Although Wilson avoided a season-ending injury, the lost time would be a setback. He will miss pre-season games against the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants, as well as joint training against those teams.

Wilson, 23, second overall in 2021, is an inexperienced quarterback and needs as many reps as possible. He struggled last season, losing 10 of 13 starts and only hitting 9 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

“If you want to be good at football, you have to play football. You have to practice football,” said offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur. “Obviously that can’t happen to him. So he will go and attack her the best way he knows. It’s been this past year, unfortunately. He knows what to do, what to watch, what to say and what to do in meetings. He will make the most of Limit the situation, just as we all would.

“The show continues, doesn’t it?”

In Flacco, 37, the Jets own a 14-year veteran and Super Bowl XLVII MVP for the Ravens. But Flacco has struggled in recent years, having lost 14 of his 16 posts in the past. Next on the depth chart is Mike White (Three career starts).