New York Jets QB Zach Wilson diagnosed with meniscus tear

Zach Wilson, the second-year QB for the New York Jets, has avoided disaster and will only miss a few regular season games with a meniscus tear. The injury happened Friday night in the Jets’ first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Wilson went down with a non-contact injury while fighting for extra yards on a scramble and immediately, Jets fans feared it could have been an ACL tear. Fortunately, Wilson has avoided that injury and will instead be out 2-4 weeks following surgery on his right knee for the meniscus tear.

Wilson is entering his second season in the NFL and Jets fans were hopeful he could improve on his woeful rookie season. While this injury will set his development back, it could have been a lot worse and fans will be letting out a sigh of relief that his season isn’t over. The former second overall pick struggled to find consistency in his rookie season, but showed flashes of talent that gave the Jets optimism for this coming season.

Last year, Wilson had an awful supporting cast of offensive playmakers and a below average offensive line. The Jets’ front office have spent this offseason building up their offense and surrounding Wilson with talent that would hopefully help him take the next step. While Wilson is slated to miss a chunk of time that will hinder his ability to build chemistry with his new offensive playmakers, it could have been a lot worse.

Now, the sophomore QB will begin his rehabbing process and try to return for the start of the season. While the team doctors expect Wilson to miss the first few weeks of the regular season, he could try to play through the injury and come back early. The Jets do not have a good back up plan at QB and if Wilson were to miss the first couple games, their season could be in jeopardy. Still though, it would unwise to rush their 23-year-old QB back from injury when he has his whole future in front of him.

Right now, the under on the Jets’ 2022 season win total is very appealing. The top NFL betting sites have placed them at +145 to win less than 5.5 games and this injury adds even more value to that under. The Jets were 4-13 last season and while they should improve this season, Wilson is missing valuable time where he can mesh with new teammates. For a young QB, that is very important and it may take him a little bit to get his feet under him when he does return. While the injury to Wilson will only keep him off the field for 2-4 weeks, it will have season-long ramifications and the Jets should be in for yet another long year.

More sports news