Jets QB Zach Wilson's knee injury will keep him out 2-4 weeks after MRI shows PCL sprain

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New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will be back on the field this season.

That was the good news the Jets received Monday, when an MRI showed that Wilson suffered a sprained PCL in his right knee.

The not so good news: Wilson is expected to miss two to four weeks with the injury, a person with knowledge of the situation told the USA TODAY Network. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose medical information.

ESPN first reported the MRI results.

That means the Jets will be without their starting quarterback for at least the next two games: against Bengals on Sunday and five days later against the Colts.

Mike White, who filled in for Wilson during Sunday's loss to the Patriots, is expected to make those two starts. The Jets have veteran Josh Johnson on the practice squad, who could be elevated to the active roster to be the backup quarterback while Wilson is out. The Jets could also look to bring in a veteran, but options are limited and time is also a factor: the NFL trade deadline is a week from Tuesday.

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Oct 24, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) looks to hand off the ball during the first half of a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) looks to hand off the ball during the first half of a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

White made his NFL regular-season debut on Sunday and threw a touchdown on his first pass. He finished 20-of-32 for 202 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

The Jets' offense had been struggling with Wilson — they still are the only team in the NFL that hasn't scored in the first quarter this season. It won't get any easier with a backup on the field, especially now that the Jets' upcoming opponents will have tape to prepare for White.

The Jets have defended their decision to not bring in a proven veteran quarterback: they started the season with only Wilson and White on the roster, both had never appeared in a regular season game before this year.

That was fine when Wilson was on the field, because he was their No. 2 overall pick in April's draft and every snap was a chance to develop their 22-year-old quarterback of the future. White, 26, is a former fifth-round pick who has yet to prove he's capable of winning a game at this level. Now the 1-5 Jets will rely on White to try and keep them from falling into an even deeper regular-season hole starting with one of the best teams in the AFC: the Bengals, led by 2020 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, have won five of their first seven games and are coming off a convincing win over Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

Still, the most important thing for the Jets is that they dodged a season-ending injury for their young quarterback. With the Jets already out of playoff contention, this would have become a lost season if Wilson had not been able to get back on the field. The Jets could put Wilson on injured reserve, which would keep him out a minimum of three weeks. We should find out more when Jets coach Robert Saleh speaks to reporters this afternoon.

But Wilson will have a chance to continue his development when he returns at some point in the coming weeks. And that's huge for the Jets, because Wilson's development is unquestionably the Jets' top priority heading into 2022.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Zach Wilson injury: New York Jets quarterback has PCL sprain