Will the New York Jets have starting quarterback Zach Wilson'for their regular-season opener Sept. 11 at home vs. the Baltimore Ravens? That's very much in question after Wilson suffered a bone bruise and a torn meniscus on a non-contact play in the preseason opener last Friday against the Philadelphia Eagles. The current prognosis is 2-4 weeks of recovery after Wilson has surgery on Tuesday. Caesars Sportsbook has shifted the Ravens from -6 to -7 because of the possibility it will be Joe Flacco under center for New York. O n the money line, Baltimore rose from -240 to -320 and the Jets shifted from +200 to +250.
“We're optimistic, but he's not out of the woods until they get in there and make the decision,” said Jets coach Robert Saleh about Wilson's injury. The current belief is that the meniscus needs only a “trim,” not a full repair. The surgery will take place in Los Angeles.
Wilson, drafted second overall in 2021, missed four games last year after spraining the PCL in his right knee — the same knee he hurt against the Eagles. One knock on Wilson coming out of BYU was that he was injury-prone. He had shoulder surgery and a thumb injury in college. The Jets have had terrible injury luck with their QBs, as the last one to start every game in a season was Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015.
Flacco, the former Super Bowl MVP for the Ravens, played in two games last season and started one, a 24-17 home loss to the Dolphins. He played pretty well that day, co mpleting 24 of 39 for 291 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. He hasn't won a game he started since 2019 when he was playing in Denver and is 0-5 in two seasons with the Jets.