Quarterback Zach Wilson, who was injured in the Jets preseason opener, threw on the field Monday and could play in New York’s season opener Sunday. Adam Hunger/Associated Press
NEW YORK — There’s still a chance Zach Wilson will open the season for the New York Jets under center instead of on the sideline.
Coach Robert Saleh said during a Zoom call that Wilson did some throwing on the field Monday while testing out his surgically repaired right knee, which was injured in the preseason opener at Philadelphia on Aug. 12.
“He looked good, felt good,” Saleh said.
And Saleh left the door open for Wilson potentially starting Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, returning less than a month after surgery.
“Yeah, it’s possible,” Saleh said.
While it could be a little gamesmanship mixed with optimism, Saleh added the Jets will evaluate Wilson over the next two days and make a decision Wednesday on whether he or Joe Flacco will start. The coach added “it does nothing for us from game plan standpoint” to rush to name a starter for Week 1. He said Wilson, Flacco and Mike White are all capable of running Mike LaFleur’s offense at a high level, and the game plan would remain the same regardless of who’s under center.
It might still be wishful thinking to expect Wilson to be completely healthy in time for the game.
Wilson suffered a bone bruise and torn meniscus, which was repaired via arthroscopic surgery in Los Angeles on Aug. 16. He was initially expected to miss two to four weeks, but the Jets have insisted they won’t rush the second-year quarterback back to the field.
GIANTS: There are some topics Coach Brian Daboll is not going to shed much light on.
Injuries and the release of players such as veteran Blake Martinez are high on his list.
Daboll said little on either topic as the Giants started to prepare for their season opener in Tennessee against the Titans.
The Giants surprisingly released Martinez on Thursday after the team finished practice for the week. There was no comment at the time from either Daboll or GM Joe Schoen about why their leading tackler from 2020 was let go or whether it had to do with the ACL injury he sustained early last season.
“All I’ll say is every decision that we make regarding releasing a player is always a difficult decision,” Daboll said. “Just like all our guys, I’d say good luck to Blake and the rest of the guys that we released; and we’re looking forward to getting ready on our preparations for Tennessee.”
Daboll, who replaced Joe Judge as coach in January, repeated his original answer when pressed for a reason for the move.
PANTHERS: Carolina signed veteran defensive end Henry Anderson, giving them some added experience up front.
The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Anderson has spent seven seasons in the league with 170 tackles and 11 1/2 sacks during his time with Indianapolis, the New York Jets and New England. He spent last season with the Patriots, playing in four games with three tackles.
The 31-year-old Anderson was a third-round pick of the Colts in 2015.
BROWNS: The Cleveland Browns added depth at two key positions in advance of the opener, signing offensive tackle Joe Haeg and tight end Jesse James, who both previously played for rival Pittsburgh.
The Browns tweaked their roster as they began preparing for Sunday’s opener at Carolina. Both Haeg and James were on the practice field during the portion open to media members.
To make roster room, the team waived guard Drew Forbes and linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk.
COWBOYS: Dallas signed free agent left tackle Jason Peters to a one-year contract Monday, adding a longtime NFC East rival to address injury issues on the offensive line.
Peters will begin his Dallas tenure on the practice squad and probably won’t be ready for the opener Sunday night against Tampa Bay. The Cowboys released defensive end Mika Tafua to make room for Peters.
Dallas is likely to be without left tackle Tyron Smith until at least December after the eight-time Pro Bowler tore a hamstring in practice two weeks ago. Rookie Tyler Smith could start against the Buccaneers, but Peters will get strong consideration for that spot once the 40-year-old Texas native is ready to play in a game.
STEELERS: Mike Tomlin deliberately – and quite effectively – declined to announce a starting quarterback for months, even as all signs pointed to Mitch Trubisky.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ longtime coach wanted to wait until – as he said over and over and over during the offseason and throughout training camp – the time was “appropriate.”
In the end, Tomlin let his players effectively make the announcement for him, then quietly reinforced it not with his booming voice but with a piece of paper.
Trubisky will be the starter on Sunday when Pittsburgh begins the post-Ben Roethlisberger era in Cincinnati. Tomlin placed Trubisky’s name atop the depth chart on Monday afternoon, just hours after Trubisky’s teammates selected him as one of Pittsburgh’s five co-captains for the 2022 season.
“I just think he’s a guy who people rally around,” said defensive tackle Cam Heyward of Trubisky, who arrived in free agency in March. “He’s all about team. He’s very bought in. He understands and Coach T says it, he’s carrying our hopes and dreams on every single play.”
Trubisky has said all the right things and done all the right things seemingly from the moment he signed a two-year deal for the chance to replace Roethlisberger. He reached out individually to the returning players on offense and welcomed the skill position players to his home in South Florida during the spring in hopes of building chemistry.
Trubisky began the spring atop the depth chart and despite a push from Mason Rudolph and rookie first-round pick Kenny Pickett – both of whom performed well throughout the offseason program and training camp – Trubisky never provided much reason for Tomlin to switch things up.
If anything, Tomlin reinforced the status quo.
Rudolph is listed as the primary backup with Pickett starting his first season in the NFL on the third string, a move that gives Pickett time to get acclimated to life as a pro and gives Trubisky breathing room. Even if he struggles in his return to a starting role after spending 2021 as a backup in Buffalo, it is unlikely the second overall pick in the 2017 draft would be replaced by Rudolph during a game unless he’s injured.
Heyward, reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, special teams ace Miles Killebrew and second-year running back Najee Harris were also elected captains.
INTERNATIONAL COMBINE: The NFL is holding an international combine in London for the second consecutive year.
Forty-four athletes will be selected to participate in the combine in front of NFL evaluators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 3-4.
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