Robert Saleh not ruling out Zach Wilson starting Jets' opener

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Robert Saleh couldn’t say when Zach Wilson would return to practice, but he still isn’t closing the door just yet on the second-year quarterback being the Jets’ Week 1 starter.

Wilson is recovering from a bone bruise and arthroscopic surgery in his right knee, but he’s walking around more and without much of a limp. Last week, Wilson was driving himself around the practice field on a cart. He walked onto the practice field on Tuesday on his own.

Saleh said if Wilson can get cleared for practice by next week he could play in the Jets’ regular-season opener against the Ravens. Otherwise Joe Flacco would get the start against his former team.

“If Zach’s not ready by Week 1 - we got a lot to [see] over the next week - then Joe will be the starter,” Saleh said.

Flacco said after Sunday’s preseason finale that he expects to be the Week 1 starter, but he also said he didn’t know anything about Wilson’s status. Odds are it will be Flacco, but the Jets aren’t committing to that just yet.

Saleh reiterated that there is no timeline for Wilson, who hurt his knee in their first preseason game in Philadelphia on Aug. 12. Wilson had the knee scoped two weeks ago to trim his meniscus.

Wilson suffered a non-contact injury while trying to extend a play with his legs. Wilson and the Jets were fortunate that he didn’t sustain a more serious injury. The original prognosis after he underwent an MRI was that he would miss 2-4 weeks. That was before the scope.

The Jets were relieved that the surgeon didn’t find any additional damage when they performed the operation, but there was no longer a time frame. The Jets will be cautious with Wilson and make sure he is 100% healthy before he returns.

Saleh is encouraged with how Wilson is progressing and said as soon as he “feels ready to go” and the doctors give him the OK, he can start practicing again.

“We saw him on the bike,” Saleh said. “He’s walking around, he was out at practice today. He’s taking in all the information. He’s at walk through, he’s in every meeting. As soon as he gets cleared by the docs and he feels good, he’ll be out there. There really is no timeline.”

This is not a normal practice week for the NFL. The Jets practiced Tuesday with Wilson as a spectator and have walk-throughs the next two days. The players have Labor Day Weekend off. They will return to practice on Monday as they prepare for their first game.

Saleh said Wilson has to be able to practice in full next week to have any chance of playing in the opener. When Wilson hurt his knee last season, he ran the practice team for a couple of weeks before running the first-team offense.

“You’d like him to practice that week,” Saleh said. “He did it last year. I know he had a couple of scout team weeks, but they were limited in nature. But he’ll be fine with one week of practice.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.