Aaron Rodgers threw just one pass as the Jets’ starting quarterback before suffering what appears to be a season-ending Achilles injury. And that means Zach Wilson knows he has to get the job done.
Wilson said after the Jets’ 22-16 overtime win that it hurts to lose Rodgers, but he knows it’s now his team.
“My heart goes out to him,” Wilson said. “It’s tough. It hurts us as a team.”
Wilson now has an enormous responsibility on his shoulders — one that he proved incapable of handling last year, when he played very poorly before he was benched. Wilson said he knows he has to play better.
“My job as quarterback is I’ve got to step up,” Wilson said. “I’ve got to be as efficient as I can in that offense. A lot of emotions. Week One, opening day, trying to learn as much as I can from this guy, but I’ve also got to make sure I’m ready to go. Lot of emotions, you’ve got to be able to try and stay calm and go out there and try and perform the best you can.”
A season that started with so much optimism for the Jets quickly fizzled when Rodgers got hurt, but Monday night’s game ended with a thrilling overtime touchdown. Now Wilson has to step up to keep the Jets’ season afloat.