Zach Wilson will be limited in preseason debut, Daniel Jones won’t play
Zach Wilson will get his first taste of NFL game action this weekend, but it won’t be much.
Robert Saleh said the Jets’ rookie quarterback will play “about a quarter” against the Giants on Saturday, which equates to a couple of drives depending on how the defense performs.
That’s about normal for the first preseason game for a young starting quarterback, and should be enough for Wilson to get a solid feel for the offense in a game scenario against a different defense. Given the Jets’ lack of experienced quarterback depth behind Wilson, Saleh and company don’t want to risk Wilson suffering an injury that could hinder his development.
Once Wilson exits, the Jets will likely cycle in the trio of Josh Johnson, James Morgan and Mike White for the final three quarters.
Wilson will be without at least one starter. Tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker is dealing with a pec strain but is expected to return for the Packers game next week. Receiver Elijah Moore is also in jeopardy of missing the game after suffering a quad injury.
The Giants, meanwhile, won’t play their starting quarterback at all. Joe Judge said he’ll sit Daniel Jones against the Jets, as well as running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley is coming off a season-ending ACL tear from last year. Judge said the move was mostly about giving him more time to evaluate players before the first round of cuts on August 17.
Mike Glennon and Clayton Thorson will split time under center.
The Jets and Giants face off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at MetLife Stadium.
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