The former first-round pick enlivened the offense with aggressive downfield strikes, fighting to shed his draft bust label and secure a roster spot in the Big Easy.
The New Orleans Saints may have lost on Saturday, but they had a good showing from several players. Specifically, the Saints looked good at the quarterback position.
We felt good about the starting quarterback spot heading into the preseason after Tyler Shough's breakout rookie season. We did not feel as good about the quarterback room after Shough. Perhaps we were wrong.
The Saints had three different quarterbacks make positive plays, but former New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson made the biggest impact. Wilson stole the show with just under 150 passing yards on 11 completions.
The Associated Press' Brett Martel recorded his observations from the strong performance. Here's some of what Martel wrote on Wilson's impressive opening statement as a Saints quarterback.
"Zach Wilson, saddled with the “draft bust” label as he tries to salvage his NFL career, is giving the New Orleans Saints reasons to take him seriously as a potential backup to Tyler Shough.
Now with his fourth team since the New York Jets drafted him second overall in 2021, Wilson enlivened New Orleans’ offense with downfield throws during the Saints’ 24-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in both teams’ preseason opener on Saturday.
'Obviously, I’m here to compete,' Wilson said after completing 11 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a short touchdown to rookie tight end Oscar Delp. 'I’m still young, but I feel like I’ve been able to play in a lot of games and see a lot of different things, and so I feel like it’s been able to slow down a little bit for me.'
Wilson connected Bub Means for 27 and 37 yards, and rookie Barion Brown for 28 yards, as he led the Saints to a touchdown and field goal late in the first half."
Aug 15, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Zach Wilson (4) celebrates a touchdown with New Orleans Saints tight end Oscar Delp (88) during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn ImagesWilson was seen having fun again on the field. The now battle tested journeyman quarterback has experienced the scrutiny that comes with playing football in the league. Now, like fellow former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, he's embracing his new scenery.
We are under no illusion that Wilson will challenge Shough for the starting job. He may not even beat Spencer Rattler for the No. 2 quarterback position. Even so, he's attacking each rep with optimism.
The cynical fan may argue that Wilson is only seeing opportunities because he started his career as a first round pick. After all, first rounders tend to get more opportunities than seventh rounders. After watching Wilson play on Saturday, it's clear that his draft placement is not the only reason he's still in the league.
Wilson will look to solidify his spot on the depth chart over the next two weeks.
