One More Shot for Zach Wilson?

Just four plays into his New York Jets career, Aaron Rodgers sustained a season-ending injury, tearing his Achilles tendon on Monday in the Jets season opener against the Buffalo Bills. The Jets managed to squeak out a win in overtime despite playing backup quarterback Zach Wilson for the majority of the game.

The Jets, who were picked by many to make the playoffs before the season, now have to decide who will start at quarterback for the remainder of the season. As of now, the Jets will most likely stick with Wilson barring an injury to the former No. 2 overall pick.

Wilson’s Team

Wilson was the Jets starting quarterback in 2021 and 2022. Though, he struggled last season and with the acquisition of Rodgers, whom the Jets acquired in a trade this offseason, he lost his starting job. Wilson will get another chance to prove that he can be a starting quarterback.

After the game, Wilson explained what he expects of himself in his new role.

Wilson showed improvements in efficiency on Monday. He completed 67% of his passes for 140 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. This is an improvement from his career 56% completion percentage, and he’ll have a week to prepare for the Jets’ Week 2 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Rodgers Affect?

So far, Wilson’s time in New York has been a disappointment. Therefore, the Jets traded multiple draft picks for Rodgers, hoping he could lead New York back to the playoffs.

After the game, Wilson talked about how he has learned from sitting behind Rodgers.

This raises the question: Can Rodgers’ mentoring improve Wilson’s performance? Wilson did not have a perfect game on Monday, but he showed promise on a game-tying touchdown drive with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He proved that he has the ability to lead his team to victory.

Throughout his short career, Wilson hasn’t shown that he can be a solid NFL quarterback. After the Jets traded for Rodgers, many thought that Wilson’s career in New York was over. Now, Wilson gets one final shot to prove that he can be a quality starter in the NFL.