Jets QB Zach Wilson talks feeling 'whiplash' after NFL debut

To say Zach Wilson got roughed up in his NFL debut is probably an understatement given he was sacked six times by the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Things looked particularly dicey in the fourth quarter when a major hit left the rookie QB visibly shaken.

"I felt like I got hit by a truck for a second," Wilson said postgame, via USA Today. 

"Neck's a little sore. A little whiplash. But I'll be alright," he added.

Wilson's performance overall showed durability and the ability to improve throughout a game. The second-overall pick out of BYU overcame a slow start to end the day completing 20-of-37 attempts for 258 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He led two late-game drives that brought the Jets within range of taking over the game before ultimately losing 19-14.

Despite still coming up short on the scoreboard, Wilson doesn't want his team's efforts to be overshadowed by how many times he got hit — or how hard he got knocked down, for that matter.

"It's tough but it's part of the job, right?" Wilson said. "It's why we sign up to play quarterback. I feel like I'm getting better, experiencing having stuff in your face, you've got to be able to play. You can't just say, 'Uhhh, there's pressure, I can't do my job.' That's why quarterback is a tough position to come by. So it's good for me and I'm going to continue to get better at that."

While Wilson's attitude is worth applauding, he won't make it through the season in one piece if he gets hit like that in every game. The Jets were notoriously bad at protecting Sam Darnold during his tenure in New York, and if the rookie QB is going to stay under center and not sustain a season-ending injury, the team in front of him needs to do a better job of protecting him, regardless of how resilient he appears.

"We have to keep him cleaner," center Connor McGovern said, via ESPN. "But the resilience he showed was phenomenal. Each week you guys are going to see special stuff from Zach."