Despite rumors to the contrary, Zach Wilson did not quit on the New York Jets
After Zach Wilson left the New York Jets’ loss to the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter, whispers arose that Wilson had quit on the team. After all, he was initially cleared of a concussion by an independent neurologist before leaving the game for good a bit later.
According to his mom, though, Wilson had a good reason for leaving: he was experiencing concussion symptoms.
Zach Wilson’s mother, Lisa, shed some light on her son’s concussion. On her IG story, she says he left the game “when he started having problems with blurred vision and his depth perception.” She says he had been experiencing symptoms throughout the game because of some “really,…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 19, 2023
The questions about Wilson’s commitment to the team are strange under these circumstances but understandable in a broader context. A report surfaced before the Jets-Texans game in Week 14 that Wilson was reluctant to re-enter as the Jets’ starting quarterback. Some fans saw that as the quarterback quitting on his team. Therefore, in a situation where the reasons for Wilson’s removal from the game were unclear, the speculation about quitting is not entirely from left field.
Still, as Lisa Wilson made clear, her son did, indeed, suffer a concussion. Despite being initially cleared, his symptoms of blurred vision and altered depth perception indicated a concussion. When Wilson was reevaluated, he was placed into the concussion protocol.
Here is the full account from Wilson’s mother.
Here is the video… Zach Wilson didn’t quit on his team. https://t.co/9BdAs9XEjW pic.twitter.com/29WH03HEBi
— J. Gray (@JGrayJets) December 18, 2023
Ultimately, the NFL has some questions to answer about Wilson’s injury. The independent neurological consultant is supposed to be able to detect concussion symptoms. An implicit part of that job is detecting the symptoms players may not be willing to admit because they want to stay in the game. Wilson’s head hit the ground hard, which is what caused the initial evaluation. Did he not have signs of a concussion until later?
This is Zach Wilson’s last play on Sunday. His chances not looking good here. It ends with a short-hop to Hall. #Jets @NextGenStats pic.twitter.com/E4u4KnhNqq
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 19, 2023
Wilson’s situation makes it clear that the NFL still has room for improvement in their concussion protocols. It is not, though, a reflection of his will for his team.
