Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson sitting on the sideline during an NFL preseason game.
On Wednesday, September 7 New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh dropped a bombshell on the media.
Not only will Zach Wilson not play on Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens, but we won’t see him on the field until at least Week 4 versus Pittsburgh.
After #Jets HC Robert Saleh was asked a 3rd question about Zach Wilson situation he sounded flippant to the media, ‘to be honest with you guys, I really don’t want to talk about this situation anymore so the earliest he will be available is Pittsburgh’ 😳: 🎥 @nyjets #TakeFlight
Following the massive news from the podium, fans were losing their collective minds on social media and are fed up quite frankly.
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The Real Root of the Issue for the Jets
Before we get to the fans, right off the top I have to say the Jets going out of their way to protect their young quarterback is the right call.
If he isn’t ready and he isn’t according to the head coach, then rest him for as long as it takes.
However, the point of frustration comes from the injury timeline history of this current regime.
A thread on #Jets OT Mekhi Becton and his injury. Mekhi, in his 2nd season with NY, went down with 1:25 left in the third quarter in week one against the Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 12. He was rolled over on by a teammate and Panthers defender and suffered a patellar dislocation.
For example, last season offensive tackle Mekhi Becton injured his knee and most of us assumed he’d be out for the season. It looked bad, he was clutching his knee and had to be carted off of the field.
However, when Saleh and the Jets were asked about it they provided a very optimistic return timeline of “6-8 weeks” for him to return.
They could have said whatever they wanted, the Jets controlled the narrative of the story, yet they still provided that answer.
As we all know Becton would never play another snap during the 2021 season.
Fast forward to this offseason after Wilson went down with a knee injury in the Philadelphia Eagles preseason game. Saleh refused to say anything until he knew more information.
We found out a few days later that Wilson’s return timetable would be between two and four weeks. They said that the season opener versus the Ravens was still completely on the table and we’d get more updates throughout the process.
Then earlier this week Saleh went out of his way to say Wilson has a chance of playing in Week 1 on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN.
Now whether you believed or not that the former BYU passer was actually going to play this week is up to the viewer’s discretion. However, the part that is hard to get over is how did we go from Wilson maybe playing in Week 1 to now not playing until at least Week 4?
I just want to know what the hell is going on 1 #Jets Drive.
Last year: maybe Mekhi Becton is out 6-8 weeks just kidding he is out for the year.
MAYBE Zach Wilson will play in the opener JK he is out until at least Week 4.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FLYING HOOT! #TakeFlight
It is especially odd considering Saleh reiterated during the press conference that there has been zero setbacks with Wilson’s recovery. If he is progressing exactly how you thought, then what changed on the timeline? A very fair question.
Social Media Outburst From Fans on Wilson
Richie Womack gave a colorful take of his own calling the Jets, “f****** liars” after all this injury hoopla.
Well some #Jets fans are quite angry over the Zach Wilson stuff today & for good reason…
Rich Cimini of ESPN hit the nail on the head with why Jets fans are so upset saying the moving field goal post on the return timetable is “curious”:
A lot of folks might be wondering how Wilson went from “possible” starter in Wk 1 to sidelined at least 3 games. Fair question. #Jets knew all along Wilson wouldn’t play this week; Monday was all gamesmanship. How they got from that to Wk 4 “at the earliest” is curious.
Charles tweeted out that Saleh is “losing integrity” for all these comments during the presser:
@BoyGreen25 That was yesterday! He said possibly start the opener yesterday. Man is losing integrity.
Johnny said the Jets have gone out of their own way to “look dysfunctional”:
@BoyGreen25 It’s like they go out of their way to look dysfunctional . Nobody really thought he was playing this week. So why did they say that? Now he’s not playing this month?
I think Sports Fiend really articulated his point well on social media saying all of this is “very confusing” and suggested that Saleh should probably sit out on doing any guesswork with future injury timelines.
“It’s just very bad optics like him and the staff [doesn’t] really know what’s going on.”
@BoyGreen25 Ngl this is very confusing. I think that this news makes me feel that this timeline is not true. I think Wilson could come back by week 3, but Saleh should not comment on injury timelines anymore. It’s just very bad optics like him and the staff don’t really know what’s going on.
The biggest issue with this is again communication. The Jets controlled the narrative. They could have made the messaging gray, “not sure on a timetable, we’ll get back to you when we know more.”
How easy would that have been? But no, instead the Jets decided to put these false timelines out there and create expectations for returns. When those returns inevitably don’t happen fans get upset.
@BoyGreen25 They really gotta work on their messaging man. Week 4 now??
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Fans Sound Off on Jets’ Handling of Zach Wilson: ‘F****** Liars’