Quarterback Zach Wilson’s arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday was deemed a success, with no surprises from the initial diagnosis, sources told ESPN. Wilson was diagnosed with a torn meniscus and bone bruises after a non-contact injury last Friday night against the Philadelphia Eagles, with sources initially saying the recovery would be two to four weeks. There was no updated timetable, but the Jets avoided the nightmare scenario — a season-ending injury to their second quarterback. The meniscus just needed a “scrape,” a source said — as the Jets expected. They were optimistic about the extent of the damage, but refrained from definitive statements until after the arthroscopy, which was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The Jets are set to start Joe Flacco in the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, the team he led to the Super Bowl title in the 2012 postseason. The Jets don’t want to rush Wilson back to the field, with sources stressing they won’t play him until he’s 100 percent. That he injured the same knee last season — a PCL sprain that cost him four games — is a factor. He’ll likely need at least two weeks of practice before he’s cleared to play, so the calendar works against him in terms of opening day. 2 Related Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, went down to the second round in his first season. Coming out of the pocket, he tried to gain extra yards instead of running out of bounds. When he made a cut inside, his knee buckled and he took a dive into the grass. He immediately left the game. The next day, an MRI revealed bone bruising and a torn meniscus. Wilson opted for a second opinion and traveled to Los Angeles. In other injury news, the Jets placed right tackle Mekhi Becton (fractured knee) on injured reserve, ending his season. To replace him, they signed left tackle Duane Brown and moved George Fant to right tackle. The Jets have revolved their entire offseason around Wilson, adding players around him, so a season-ending injury would be a devastating blow. However, coach Robert Saleh called it “a setback in that he’s missing an incredible opportunity to get reps, to play other defenses.” Wilson will miss preseason games with the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants. The Jets also have common practices against those teams, which Saleh believes are invaluable. Flacco, 37, has looked sharp in practice the past three days, but hasn’t had much success as a starter. He hasn’t won a start since 2019 (with the Denver Broncos) and has lost 14 of his last 16, dating back to 2018 – his final season with the Ravens. Saleh said he’s confident in Flacco and Mike White, who is stepping up to the second string. “It’s comforting and I’m going to shout out Mike White, too,” Saleh said. “I think we have three starting quarterbacks. Joe has proven throughout his time that he’s a winner. I know his record here hasn’t been that great. I think he’s 0-5 or something… (but) He’s been efficient. Even in our game last year in Miami where he started, he’s been very efficient. We have all the confidence in the world in him to get the job done.”
