Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson throwing a pass during an NFL game.
Zach Wilson will remain on the shelf.
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh revealed to the media on Tuesday, December 26 that Wilson didn’t clear the NFL’s concussion protocol and has been ruled out.
Veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian will remain the starting quarterback for the Week 17 matchup versus the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football.
Door Remains Open for Wilson, Siemian Gets Another Shot
The former BYU product got hurt during the Week 15 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. He didn’t play against the Washington Commanders and he won’t play against the Browns.
The last chance for Wilson to get back on the football field for the Jets in 2023 is the Week 18 road trip to New England to play against the Patriots.
Saleh was asked directly if he thinks Zach will be back for the regular season finale.
“We’ll see. The most important thing is for him to get rid of all of these symptoms and progress. [His health] is first and foremost obviously,” Saleh explained.
Siemian was 27-of-49 for 217 passing yards against the Commanders. He turned the ball over twice with a fumble and an interception.
“Trev did some nice things in the game,” Saleh said. “It was great to just have a conversation with him and his recognition that he could have done even better. So obviously it is a short week, but he will prepare the way he needs to.”
Siemian Has His Own Underrated Revenge Angle in Jets-Browns Game
The last time Siemian was in a Jets uniform playing against Cleveland in a prime-time game things went very poorly.
It was Week 2 of the 2019 season and the Jets were playing on Monday Night Football against the Browns. Early in the week, Sam Darnold was ruled out for the foreseeable future because of mononucleosis.
That thrust the veteran backup, Siemian, into the starting lineup. Siemian was in the game until he got injured with 7:58 remaining in the second quarter. He suffered a gruesome-looking ankle injury that ruled him out for the rest of the game.
The Jets ended up losing 23-3 and their season was sent into a tailspin.
We would later find out that Siemian tore multiple ligaments in his ankle and was forced to have surgery ruling him out for the rest of the 2019 season.
Siemian left the Jets in free agency the following offseason and both sides went their separate ways. The former Northwestern product was reunited with the Jets earlier this season after Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles.
Siemian has appeared in three games so far this year, including one start. He is only completing 52.3% of his passes, has one touchdown pass to three interceptions, and has thrown for 393 passing yards.
The stats and eye test have been ugly, but to Siemian’s credit, he has provided a stabilizing force at the game’s most important position. He helped orchestrate a last-second drive to win the game against the Commanders.
Now he will be relied upon once again on a short week against a tough AFC foe that he is hoping to cash in some juicy revenge on.