Robert Saleh: Zach Wilson Will Be Jets' Starting QB Once He Returns from Knee Injury

There is no quarterback controversy with the New York Jets. Zach Wilson will regain his starting spot from Joe Flacco the moment he's cleared to play, coach Robert Saleh told reporters Wednesday.

"He's the future of the organization. As soon as the doctors clear him, we'll get him on the field," Saleh said.

Flacco has thrown for 616 yards and five touchdowns against one interception over the first two weeks and led the Jets to a thrilling 31-30 comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

The veteran's stellar start to the season led to some wondering whether the Jets offense would be better off with Flacco starting over Wilson, who is out with a knee injury. Wilson has already been ruled out for this week's game against the Cincinnati Bengals but has a chance to play in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

From a purely objective standpoint, it's a patently ridiculous premise that the Jets would give up on their 2021 first-round quarterback in favor of a 37-year-old less than two years into Wilson's career. The BYU product was anything but spectacular last season, but he was surrounded by one of the sport's worst supporting casts.

Memes aside, Flacco was never an elite option at quarterback during any point of his NFL career—aside from a magical Super Bowl run that put nine figures in his bank account.

The Jets have to see what they have in Wilson to determine whether he's their quarterback of the future. Even if Flacco is the slightly better option at this juncture—and there's no guarantee he is—the days in his NFL career are numbered. Wilson is 23 years old.

Perhaps this is a conversation worth revisiting if Wilson fails to show marked improvement in his second season, but there's no value in making a panic move now just because Jets fans are desperate for a winner.