Zach Wilson was all that mattered. Everything revolved around his progress. In his second season after a rough year, Wilson was the linchpin of whatever the Jets hoped to accomplish in 2022. Sure, there were a few dozen other Jets who were evaluated Friday night in their preseason opener against the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field — a completely scrappy 24-21 Jets comeback win. But Wilson was the only player that really mattered. Everyone expected to see at least small signs of improvement from him between his first and second year, and on Friday night she was ready to give a first look. But now, after the troubling non-contact injury Wilson suffered to his right knee on his ninth play from scrimmage, Wilson’s Year Two may be over before it begins — though sources told The Post the Jets hope the his injury will only cause him to miss weeks rather than months. However, a Jets season that has already brought more questions than an SAT exam is in doubt, if not imminent danger. Zach Wilson is being treated on the field after injuring his knee. Chris Szagola/CSM/Shutterstock After the game, coach Robert Saleh was careful not to be overly optimistic. “I’m always worried until you get the final evaluation,” said Saleh, who added that the ACL is still intact based on early tests, but said the MRI scan will tell the story. “We left the pitch with very positive thoughts, and it was the opposite. We have come out of the field with bad initial metrics and the opposite has happened. I’ll just let it play out and see [Saturday]. “I just want to let it all happen and I’ll keep saying my nightly prayers and let’s see what happens.” Despite Wilson being in the locker room after the game (but not when reporters were admitted), the Jets inexplicably refused to suspend him. Last season, when Wilson injured his PCL in a game in New England, he made himself available to talk to reporters. Clearly, the fact that the team shielded him from reporters was a sure sign that the news is not good. “He’s in a good mood. They are fine,” Saleh said, putting on a brave face through it all. “A bit disappointed, obviously, but it’s as good as you can be in the situation.” The Jets’ 2022 season flashed before their disbelieving eyes with 4:02 left in the first quarter when Wilson limped to his feet after a tackle and eventually fell to the turf as team trainers rushed to his aid. That kind of sequence — the player can walk for a moment before realizing the knee is too loose to continue — most often signals a torn ACL. Robert Saleh watches Zach Wilson tend to after injuring his knee. AP That would be the worst case scenario. Jets case scenario. Here we go again. The Jets are in crisis again. Wilson had just completed a 10-yard slant pass to Elijah Moore on third down when, on a first-and-10 from the Jets’ 42-yard line, he was dropped from the pocket to his right by Eagles defensive backs Taron Jackson and Jordan . Davis. He got past both of them and was looking at Eagles rookie Nakobe Dean in the open field near the right sideline. Instead of just running out of bounds to live to make another down, Wilson tried to fake Dean with an inside move to gain some extra (meaningless) yards. Zach Wilson is carted off the field after injuring his knee. AP Sometimes, the great athletic ability that Wilson possesses can be a curse. Something bad happened to the right knee joint when he made that move, and Wilson’s night—and possibly his season—was over. When Saleh was asked if Wilson should just run out of bounds, he quickly replied, “One hundred percent.” Within minutes, Twitter was alive with medical experts diagnosing Wilson’s injury after just watching it on TV. Zach Wilson throws a pass on the Jets’ first drive. USA TODAY Sports There, too, were armchair general managers flooding social media with ideas for the next step for Jets GM Joe Douglas in case Wilson’s injury is, indeed, season-ending. Jimmy Garoppolo’s name started trending. One cheeky Twitter joker even suggested the Jets get Sam Darnold for a second round pick in green. Asked what the next step is if this is, indeed, the end of the season, Saleh said: “Can we wait until we get the MRI results before we start talking about it? I don’t want to put that negative juice there.” When asked about 37-year-old backup quarterback Joe Flacco, Saleh said, “You know how I feel about Joe. He is an amazing football player. He’s having a great camp and has a lot of juice left in the tank.” Saleh said before the game that the plan was to play Wilson and the rest of the players for a run or two. “If they put together a good first row, we’ll call it a day,” Saleh said. “If not, we’re going to go out there and try to get a certain number of games.” The first series, of course, was an abject failure with Wilson getting an interception on his fifth play from scrimmage. Wilson then hit just four games in the second series — possibly the final four plays of the 2022 season. Now, the Jets can only hope that’s not the case.
