How bad does Zach Wilson want to be back on the field for the New York Jets?
"Zach flew back last night. He's here today," head coach Robert Saleh said on Thursday afternoon. "He's already walking, he's in really good spirits. And he's chomping at the bit to get to rehab."
Wilson had surgery to trim a partially-torn meniscus in his right knee on Tuesday, and already, not 48 hours later, he’s back in Jersey and ready to roll.
The timeline for his return seems to be anywhere from three to six weeks, the lower end meaning he would be ready (theoretically) in time to face Baltimore in the Sept. 11 opener, but Saleh isn’t rushing the bit – or even committing to a timeline.
“It's really going to be dictated by how he feels, and when he's ready to go," Saleh said. "We're going to make sure we do right by him in terms of making sure he's 100 percent healthy. Whenever that is, that's when he'll hit the field. If Zach is ready to go, he's going to be the Week 1 starter. If not, then Joe (Flacco) will. We're going to take it by how Zach looks, how he moves, how he feels, and what the doctors tell us."
Flacco knows Baltimore inside and out, having spent the first 12 years of his career (and winning a Super Bowl) with John Harbaugh in Charm City, and Saleh is pleased with how he has looked taking first-team reps so far.
“It’s comforting,” Saleh said of having Flacco. “Joe's proven throughout his time that he's a winner. He's been efficient. We've got all the confidence in the world in him to get the job done."
The head coach also shouted out Mike White, who also made starts for Gang Green last year, noting “I think we have three starting quarterbacks” – but it’s Flacco, the former Super Bowl MVP, who is going to be the guy, and the team is on board.
"There's just a lot of respect," Saleh. "Joe's a veteran, he understands football, he's got a calm to him in the huddle, he's got a great demeanor, a great presence. It's all-encompassing for him. He's been there, done that, so he just kind of eases the huddle – and having Joe in there doesn’t limit anything that we can do with Zach.”
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