Robert Saleh explains why Jets QB Zach Wilson's injury won't be a setback for the franchise

The best experience a rookie quarterback can have in the NFL is his own with real reps in real games.

Zach Wilson won’t be able to have that for possibly the next month, as he sprained his PCL on Sunday against the New England Patriots.

But despite the injury, head coach Robert Saleh does not think Wilson’s injury is a setback to the quarterback or the franchise.

"I think it’s always good to be able to step away and just watch the offense through the lens of another quarterback..." Saleh told reporters on Monday. "For Zach, obviously he is a big piece of this – the quarterback is a big piece of this. So for him to kind of just be able to watch – thankfully, it’s not a serious injury – but to watch, rehab, catch his breath, but all the other moving pieces with regards to receiver play, O-line play, all that stuff, it’s all independent. 

"We’re still going to be able to develop as an offense. We’ll be able to develop the scheme, and Zach will still be there learning it and just trying to absorb all the information as he can.”

A legitimate criticism of the Jets over the offseason was their decision to not have a veteran backup to help the rookie through the ropes. So Wilson will be taking notes from - essentially - another rookie. Mike White will be the starting quarterback until Wilson returns - he made his NFL debut when he replaced Wilson on Sunday.

But for Saleh, "it still comes down to playing quarterback" in the same system, not the quarterback itself.

"If you want to look for a silver lining, when you can watch the same offense that you are running for the first six weeks run through the lens of another quarterback, and just to see how he operates within the same system, I think there’s a lot to be had," Saleh said. "You can learn a lot off what other people do. It’s different – he can sit and watch Tom Brady all he wants, but he’s not in that system. He’s not sure what’s being told. But to be able to watch another quarterback go through the same system I think can help him generate more of an identity in how he operates within it.”

Unfortunately for Gang Green, they learned that rookie linebacker Jamien Sherwood will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles. But luckily for the Jets, it seems like they got the best-case scenario for Wilson - a torn PCL would have ended his season.

“You never want to see someone lose a season to an injury ever," said Saleh. "They work as hard, the window is so short, and for them to lose a season, it’s not ideal. It’s more for him than anything else that he’s not gonna have to miss the season. He can still be very active in his rehab, active in his learning, keep pace with the install of the offense, and he’ll be back before you know it.”