Zach Wilson knows what he has to do in wake of Aaron Rodgers injury, but can he do it?
The idea was for Zach Wilson to sit behind the four-time MVP and future NFL Hall of Famer and learn. The idea was for Aaron Rodgers to take over the reins for the New York Jets and help them compete for a Super Bowl — all while Wilson soaked in his knowledge and experience.
That plan looks like it has worked for Jordan Love, who backed up Rodgers for the Green Bay Packers, but unfortunately, Rodgers' Jets debut was ruined after only four snaps. He left the field with an apparent leg injury and now it has been confirmed. His season is over thanks to a torn Achilles tendon.
For better or worse, or until the Jets come up with a contingency plan, it's once again Wilson's show.
“My job as a quarterback is I’ve got to step up,” Wilson said after the game, per the Salt Lake Tribune. “I’ve got to be as efficient as I can in that offense. Just a lot of emotions.”
Wilson knows what he has to do for New York, and at least for one game, he did his job. It wasn't always pretty, but he completed 14-of-21 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown while leading the Jets to their Week 1 win against the Buffalo Bills. Yes, he threw a pick, but he also threw a touchdown to Garrett Wilson with 4:55 to go in the game to tie the game up at 13. That touchdown ultimately helped the game go to overtime, where the Jets won on a Xavier Gipson 65-yard punt return.
The Jets got the win, but things are going to be much different now that Rodgers is out. Wilson couldn't lead the team last season and reportedly lost the locker room. Now he'll have to somehow find a way to raise his level of play while hoping that New York's elite defense can do most of the heavy lifting.
Either way, the Jets know that 2023 is about to look very different than what the expectations were just 24 hours ago.
"It’s going to have to take a recalibration," wide receiver Allen Lazard told USA TODAY Sports. "We’ve just got to persevere through those tough times and just stay focused. Sometimes the bigger picture can get lost sometimes if you try to focus on trying to make everything perfect. At the end of the day, Aaron wants to win, so the best thing we can do is pay homage to him by going out and playing hard and picking it up."
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