Zach Wilson remains in the concussion protocol, but New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is not yet ruling him out for their Week 16 game against the Washington Commanders.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Saleh confirmed Wilson’s health status but refused to say he’ll be out in their upcoming Sunday showdown. As he continues to progress in his recovery from his head injury, the 24-year-old quarterback could still find himself as a starter for the game.
“We’ll see,” Saleh responded when asked if Wilson is out this week. “Everything has improved, so I’m not closing the door on that yet.”
QB Zach Wilson remains in concussion protocol. His status remains up in the air for this week's game. pic.twitter.com/BlrRs7JUAe
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 20, 2023
Zach Wilson sustained his head injury during their Week 15 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He wasn’t able to finish the first half and had to be ruled out after taking multiple hits, including four sacks during the time he was on the field.
For what it’s worth, however, the New York Jets already have a plan in place in case Wilson can’t make it to their Week 16 game. Backup signal-caller Trevor Siemian is expected to suit up as QB1 in Wilson’s place. While Aaron Rodgers has been activated and off the Injured Reserve, he won’t be playing as he is still recovering.
Zach Wilson’s Dangerous Decision With New York Jets
For what it’s worth, there are plenty of concerns surrounding Zach Wilson’s concussion after his mom revealed recently that the New York Jets QB hid his symptoms from the team during the game. It was only after “he really started having problems with blurred vision and his depth perception” that he opted to sit down and out of the contest.
“He really started worrying that he was actually going to hurt his team if he stayed out there because his vision was not right and how you can’t play like that,” Lisa Wilson shared on her Instagram Story.
Robert Saleh made sure to give Wilson credit for toughing it out and trying to help his team win. However, the Jets coach is happy they were also able to detect the concussion symptoms before it becomes a more serious issue.
“Credit to Zach, he will fight. That’s one thing I will say about that young man, he’s always gotten up there no matter how many hits he’s taken, how many times he’s running for his life. He’s always come back to the huddle and he’s fought,” Saleh added during Wednesday’s press conference.
“But at the same time, thank goodness it was spotted up top (by concussion spotters) and we were able to get him the care he needs.”
It will be great to see Wilson back on the field for the Jets, but he definitely shouldn’t rush it if he can’t. Health is always more important. Besides, New York has nothing left to play for after they were eliminated from postseason contention.
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