Jets QB Zach Wilson to Miss 2-4 Weeks With Sprained PCL
Zach Wilson is going to miss time after sustaining a knee injury on Sunday, but the results of an MRI show that the rookie and the Jets dodged a bullet.
Monday morning's MRI confirmed that Wilson has a sprained PCL in his right knee. The quarterback is now expected to miss the next two to four weeks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Tossing a pass deep over the middle in the second quarter of New York's humiliating loss to the Patriots, Wilson was struck by linebacker Matt Judon with a late hit. The rookie said he felt a pop as he crumbled to the ground, his knee twisting beneath him.
"The pain really isn’t there. It just kind of feels like something’s a little off as far as just being loose or unstable a little bit," Wilson told reporters after the game on Sunday.
The play resulted in a pass interference call that set the Jets up for an eventual touchdown later on in the drive. But Wilson remained on the ground behind the line of scrimmage, visibly in pain as members of the training staff rushed to surround him.
Instantly, the worst-case scenario swirled through Wilson's mind. Could this injury end his rookie season? That's why he stayed on the turf for so long, taking a moment to think through the situation before limping to the sideline and the locker room.
"It was a sore. I didn’t feel like I could move it at first," he said. "That’s why I laid there and tried to just get my thoughts together and figure out what was going on."
A sprained PCL was initially reported on Sunday, a diagnosis that Wilson referred to as the best-case scenario.
Wilson was replaced by Mike White, who was making his NFL debut. White went on to throw for 202 yards with his first career touchdown pass and two interceptions. Meanwhile, New England cruised to a 54-13 victory, their 12th win in a row against the Jets.
READ: Patriots Pummel Jets in Historic Beatdown
With Wilson expected to miss the next two-plus weeks, there's a chance New York could place the phenom on injured reserve. That would keep Wilson out for three games.
New York is scheduled to face the first-place Bengals next Sunday before a quick week, taking on the Colts on Thursday night. The subsequent mini bye could give Wilson some extra time to recuperate and prepare for a return, but with a franchise quarterback in what's shaping up to be another lost season, there's no reason to rush him back.
"Anytime you miss reps, it’s not ideal. But I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a setback," head coach Robert Saleh said on Sunday.
Asked about the possibility of missing time, Wilson said he isn't planning on it and that he's hopeful to get back out there as fast as possible.
"Once we get these results, just hit the rehab and everything for long and just find out what I’m capable of doing and trying it back as fast as possible."
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