SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) -- A familiar face for BYU football fans is ready to step up after New York Jets' star quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on Monday night.
After just four plays, Rodgers was helped off the field and Draper, Utah native and BYU alumnus Zach Wilson was sent on in his place.
Wilson is no stranger to the Jets. He was picked as the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2021 but his rookie year was less than stellar. Several poor performances made way for a losing record of 3-10. A preseason injury kept him off the field in 2022 and his return was marked by a mediocre 5-4 record.
The former BYU star fell to second-string once Aaron Rodgers joined the team but now he has a second chance.
Wilson took over for Rodgers on Monday night, leading the Jets to a 22-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills, thanks to a fourth-quarter rally.
"To get the win was huge against a big team [during] Monday Night Football," Wilson told reporters after the win. "That was the first time I've been a part of anything like that. The fanbase was unbelievable tonight and it's a long season, like I said. You can't get too high or too low. It's got to be just one week at a time."
Wilson said his short time with Rodgers helped him improve and be a lot more prepared for game night. He said now he just has to keep getting better and put trust in himself, his coaches and his teammates. Wilson told reporters he will have to rely on everything he has throughout training camp and preseason to continue improving as a player.
The next step, however, Wilson said is going to be the hardest: putting everything he has learned into game day.
"I got to be able to do that. Going into this week it's applying everything that [Rodgers] has kind of helped walk us through and being able to watch him and the coaches, how they've handled this offense, I've got to be able to handle that efficiently," Wilson said.
Next, Wilson and the New York Jets are headed toward the Lone Star State to take on the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. That game kicks off at 2:25 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17.