On Saturday, the journey man quarterback Zach Wilson gave the New Orleans Saints another reason to consider him seriously as a potential backup to Tyler Shough. Now with his fourth NFL team, Wilson provided a spark to the Saints’ offense during New Orleans’ 24-20 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wilson entered the game after Spencer Rattler started and immediately showed an ability to push the ball downfield. He connected with Bub Means for completions of 27 and 37 yards and hit rookie Barion Brown for 28 yards.
Those big plays helped Wilson lead the Saints to a touchdown and a field goal late in the first half, giving New Orleans some offensive momentum.
Rattler, who started the first half of last season for the Saints, entered training camp as the projected backup to Shough and got the start Saturday. He completed 8 of 11 passes for 42 yards but lost a fumble on a sack by Jacksonville’s Yasir Abdullah at the New Orleans 10-yard line. The turnover set up one of Cam Little’s three field goals.
Wilson’s performance, meanwhile, could give the Saints something to think about as they evaluate their quarterback depth.
New Orleans jumped out to a 7-0 lead on Audric Estime’s 9 yard touchdown run, which came one play after Ty Chandler returned the opening kickoff 86 yards.
The Jaguars answered with quarterback Carter Bradley, who passed for 105 yards and threw a short touchdown pass to Hunter Long. Bradley also threw an interception to Jayden Price near midfield late in the first half, setting up another Saints scoring opportunity.
Jacksonville’s Nick Mullens started at quarterback with Trevor Lawrence sitting out. Mullens completed only 3 of 7 passes for 33 yards and was intercepted by Jaylen Ford at the Saints’ 4-yard line.
With the starters and many of the top reserves out of the game, Jacksonville rallied in the second half by scoring 18 unanswered points.
Undrafted rookie J’Mari Taylor was a major part of the comeback. Taylor rushed for 78 yards, including a 2 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that gave the Jaguars their first lead of the game.
The touchdown was set up by another undrafted rookie, quarterback Joey Aguilar, who delivered a 43-yard completion deep down the left sideline to Trebor Pena. Pena had dropped a potential touchdown pass in the end zone earlier in the second half, but the long reception gave Jacksonville a huge opportunity.
The Saints had two more chances to regain the lead, but neither possession produced points. The first ended with a punt, while the final drive ended with an incomplete pass as time expired on second and goal from the Jacksonville 2-yard line.
New Orleans also missed an opportunity earlier in the second half when Charlie Smyth pushed a 52 yard field goal attempt wide right. Defensively, Saints undrafted rookie defensive end Michael Heldman stood out with two sacks.
The preseason opener ultimately ended in disappointment for New Orleans, but Wilson’s performance was one of the more encouraging developments. While his NFL career has not unfolded as expected since he was drafted near the top of the 2021 class, his ability to attack downfield and create explosive plays could strengthen his case for a roster spot.
The Saints still have plenty to evaluate at quarterback, with Shough expected to compete for the starting job and Rattler entering camp as the presumed backup. Wilson, however, showed Saturday that he intends to make that decision more difficult.
For a quarterback searching for another opportunity, that may be exactly what he needed.
