Report: Zach Wilson Seen as Jets' Top QB Option by Execs After Aaron Rodgers' Injury

While some pundits have questioned New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh's decision to move forward with Zach Wilson as the starting quarterback following Aaron Rodgers' season-ending Achilles injury, many within the NFL reportedly believe it is the right call.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic polled eight anonymous league executives, and they unanimously said Wilson should be the starter with a veteran behind him to provide insurance.

After Wilson led the Jets to a come-from-behind win over the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 1, Saleh gave him a vote of confidence, saying he will be "the guy" moving forward, per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.

On just his fourth play as a member of the Jets, Rodgers tore his Achilles while getting sacked by Bills pass-rusher Leonard Floyd.

The Jets had acquired the future Hall of Famer from the Green Bay Packers during the offseason to replace Wilson, who was widely considered to be a draft bust, but he was pressed back into action more quickly than anyone could have imagined.

New York selected Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of BYU, and he struggled to establish himself as the team's clear starting quarterback over his first two seasons, going 8-14 as a starter and completing 55.2 percent of his passes for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

There was a doom-and-gloom sentiment when Wilson came in for Rodgers on Monday, and while he was far from spectacular, he held his own.

Wilson completed 14 of his 21 passing attempts for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the 22-16 overtime victory.

While much of the Jets' success in the win could be attributed to the Breece Hall-led running game and a defense that forced Bills quarterback Josh Allen to throw three interceptions and lose a fumble, Wilson did throw a game-tying touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson and did just enough on other drives to cash in field goal opportunities.

As of now, the Jets don't have another quarterback on their active roster, and the only signal-caller on their practice squad is journeyman Tim Boyle.

While Wilson will be the starter, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the Jets have begun reaching out to veteran free agents at the quarterback position.

NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reported that the Jets have specifically reached out to retired quarterback Chad Henne to gauge his interest in playing again since he has familiarity with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett's system.

Some of the top names available in free agency include Carson Wentz, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Colt McCoy and Nick Foles, none of whom figure to make a hugely positive impact if they were to step in and play.

Because of that, the Jets are probably best off sticking with Wilson since he knows the system and the team, and already has a rapport with many of the skill-position players around him.

Regardless, the Jets have likely gone from a Super Bowl contender to a team just hoping to sneak into the playoffs, but that is what tends to happen when elite quarterbacks like Rodgers are lost due to injury.