Wilson’s injury not as serious as feared
Zach Wilson and the New York Jets appear to have avoided a preseason nightmare.
Wilson was expected to sit out two to four weeks because of a bone bruise and meniscus tear in his right knee, according to a person with knowledge of the injury.
The person told the Associated Press the timeline for how long Wilson is sidelined will be determined by an arthroscopic procedure for the meniscus — the schedule for which is pending a second medical opinion.
It was initially feared that Wilson suffered a serious — and potentially season-ending — knee injury during the second offensive series of New York’s 24-21 exhibition win at Philadelphia on Friday night.
There’s still a chance Wilson could be ready to play in the season opener against Baltimore on Sept. 11. If not, veteran Joe Flacco probably would start in Wilson’s place against his former team.
Browns lose center
Cleveland Browns starting center Nick Harris probably will need season-ending surgery on his right knee that was injured on the second play of the exhibition opener against Jacksonville on Friday.
Coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t provide any details on Harris’ injury or test results. He said surgery was “likely” but that the team is continuing to gather information before finalizing plans.
Preseason roundup
Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass and Baker Mayfield was solid aside from a fumbled snap in the latest stage of the Carolina Panthers’ quarterback competition, a 23-21 exhibition win at the Washington Commanders . ... Matt Ryan took it relatively easy in his first game with the Indianapolis Colts, a 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 15-year veteran quarterback, who came to the Colts from the Atlanta Falcons in a March trade, completed six of 10 passes for 58 yards over four series . ...
Kenny Pickett threw a 24yard touchdown pass to Tyler Vaughns (USC, Bishop Amat High) with three seconds to play and the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks 32-25. Pickett, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in 2022, is competing with Mitch Trubisky and
Mason Rudolph to replace retired two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger as the Steelers starting quarterback . ... Andy Dalton threw a touchdown pass on his only possession in his debut with New Orleans, but the Saints fell to the Houston Texans 17-13. Dalton, who joined the Saints after spending last season with the Bears, started with
Jameis Winston out after he injured his foot in practice Monday.
Etc.
JC Tretter, president of the NFL Players Assn. blasted the conditions at Soldier Field, tweeting that the field was not up to NFL standards for the game between the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs. The conditions didn’t seem to bother Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. The fourtime Pro Bowl player threw for 60 yards and a touchdown on the Chiefs’ first possession and then called it a day . ... The Tennessee Titans swapped out a couple of players, signing defensive back Deante Burton and tight end David Wells. The Titans also waived defensive back Terrell Bonds and receiver Brandon Lewis.