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The New York Jets received great news Wednesday morning when head coach Robert Saleh announced that quarterback Zach Wilson is medically cleared to play and will make his season debut this Sunday.
Wilson will start Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson missed the first three weeks of the regular season and most of the preseason due to a knee injury, as Joe Flacco took over for him in his absence.
"He was fully involved in all the walk-throughs and the meeting, still able to get the extra work in with regards to throwing and putting strain on the knee. He's very comfortable, he's in a great mental state and everyone is very comfortable with where he's at physically. He's ready to roll," Saleh said.
Wilson suffered a bone bruise and meniscus tear during the Jets' preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The injury occurred when he ran for a seven-yard scramble, which made him go down and get up limping. Since the damage was non-contact, the Jets feared that Wilson would potentially miss the entire season, but luckily for them, that wasn't the case.
The second-year quarterback is expected to take a giant leap this season. He was drafted second overall in the 2021 NFL draft out of BYU.
He had a disappointing rookie season as he went 3-10 as the starting quarterback for the season. He completed 55.6 percent of his passes, 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
The Jets vastly improved this off-season and drafted wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the first round and running back Breece Hall in the second round. Many expect Wilson to take a leap this season, much like how Trevor Lawrence has through the first three games of this season.
Joe Flacco played decent for the New York Jets during Zach Wilson's absence
While Wilson was out for the first three weeks of the regular season with his knee injury, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco took over the reins.
Through three games, Flacco has thrown for 901 yards (300 yards per game), the fifth-most in the NFL. He led the Jets to their improbable comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. He's thrown five touchdowns to three interceptions with a passer rating of 77.9.
Now that Wilson is cleared, Flacco will go back to being his backup but will get the call if Wilson gets injured again.
