The New York Jets are reportedly returning to their original starting quarterback, as Connor Hughes of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Zach Wilson will start when the Jets take on the Texans in Houston this Sunday.
This is a move that may happen out of necessity, as the Jets placed quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Mike White on the reserve/COVID-19 list, according to ESPN's Field Yates. Per Adam Schefter, White tested positive for the coronavirus while Flacco was deemed a close contact. Josh Johnson is "poised" to be promoted off the practice squad to back up Wilson on Sunday.
Wilson has missed the last four games due to what was reported to be a strained PCL. The original recovery timetable was said to be 2-4 weeks. Head coach Robert Saleh said previously that they were not going to throw Wilson back on the field until he was ready.
"If he's not fully healthy ... it'd be irresponsible of us to throw him out there," Saleh said, per NFL.com.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of BYU has completed 57.5% of his passes for 1,168 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 1-5 record as the starter.
The Jets have gone 1-3 without Wilson and have started two different quarterbacks in White and Flacco, while Johnson has received some action as well. While White scored an impressive 34-31 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Halloween while throwing for 405 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, he flopped against the Buffalo Bills two weeks later, throwing four interceptions in a 45-17 loss. Flacco made his first start of the season for the Jets this past Sunday against the Miami Dolphins and threw for 291 yards and two touchdowns in the 24-17 loss.
Wilson has now had some time to sit behind a couple of other quarterbacks and learn from the sideline, and we will see if he looks any different after taking a month off. The Jets desperately need a spark, and Wilson could bring that spark
