Jets Country

How Long Zach Wilson Is Expected to Be Out With Knee Injury

Wilson reportedly sustained a bone bruise and torn meniscus during Friday night's preseason opener.

Max Goodman

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It seems like the Jets avoided the worst-case scenario with their franchise quarterback and his right knee injury.

Zach Wilson suffered a scary, non-contact injury to his right knee during Friday's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

After the game, a win for New York, Jets head coach Robert Saleh was optimistic about Wilson's status, telling reporters that his ACL was intact. 

On Saturday morning, reports emerged with more encouraging news.

Wilson has a bone bruise and a torn meniscus, as first reported by Brian Costello of the New York Post. That might sound like a severe injury, but the belief as of now is that Wilson can return in two-to-four weeks.

The meniscus in Wilson's knee only needs a trim, not a full repair, per Costello.

Adam Schefter of ESPN added that Wilson will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. Depending on how that procedure goes—and if they discover any addtional damage while fixing the meniscus—the quarterback's exact timeline will be determined. 

Wilson missing any time at all is far from ideal, but the Jets are fortunate that this is only a minor injury. Let's assume Wilson misses the full four weeks of this estimated timetable. That means he's out for the rest of the preseason and wouldn't be considered healthy until the weekend of Week 1, when New York is scheduled to open the 2022 season against the Ravens.

It doesn't make sense to rush Wilson back from something like this either. Remember, Wilson also missed a chunk of time last season with a sprained PCL in that same right knee.

New York has a talented quarterback room to replace Wilson in the short term. Veteran Joe Flacco has had a strong training camp and Mike White showed what he's capable of during last season, throwing for 405 yards while leading the Jets to a stunning victory over the Bengals. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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