The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the New York Jets in Week 4 action next Sunday, and the visiting team might have quarterback Zach Wilson back for that contest at Acrisure Stadium.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network on Sunday morning, Wilson is expected to be cleared by doctors next week if there no setbacks and continued progress as he recovers from a meniscus tear and bone bruise in his knee. That would put Wilson in line to possibly play against the Steelers in Week 4.
Throughout Wilson’s recovery from knee surgery, Jets head coach Robert Saleh has said that the team’s 2021 first-round draft pick will be the starting quarterback once he’s cleared to return. He reiterated that this past week in response to questions about what the team would do if veteran Joe Flacco plays extremely well against the Cincinnati Bengals in a win on Sunday.
Wilson, who the Jets drafted second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft out of BYU, has been sidelined while rehabbing his knee injury since the opening half of the team’s first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 12. That knee injury occurred when Wilson attempted to extend a quarterback scramble, before suffering a non-contact injury. The team chose not to place the young quarterback on the the Reserve/Injured list.
With Wilson sidelined to start the 2022 regular season, the veteran Flacco has started in his place, and he’s completed 63 of his 103 total pass attempts for 616 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in the team’s first two games against the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns. The Jets enter Week 3 with a 1-1 record thanks to an amazing comeback win in Week 2 against the Browns.
Wilson finished his 2021 rookie season with a 55.6% completion rate, and 2,334 yards in 13 games, with 9 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The Steelers are currently consensus 3-5-point home favorites over the Jets ahead of Sundays Week 3 action getting underway. The Jets play the Bengals on Sunday, and fans of the Steelers will certainly be rooting for New York to get a home upset win.
