Zach Wilson’s latest NFL stop opened with exactly the kind of flash the Saints were hoping to see.
In his debut with New Orleans on Saturday, Wilson looked sharp in the team’s 24-20 preseason loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, pushing the ball downfield and making himself part of the conversation for the backup job behind Tyler Shough. It was Wilson’s fourth team since the New York Jets made him the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, and he wasted little time showing he can still move an offense.
Wilson finished 11 of 16 for 145 yards and a short touchdown to rookie tight end Oscar Delp. He also hit Bub Means for gains of 27 and 37 yards, then connected with rookie Barion Brown for 28 more as New Orleans put together a touchdown and a field goal late in the first half.
“Obviously, I'm here to compete,” Wilson said after the game. “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.”
Second-year coach Kellen Moore came away encouraged by what he saw.
“Zach's a really talented quarterback,” Moore said. “He's still got tons of growing to do and I think he's done a great job of applying himself this year in this system. So, I'm proud of what he was able to do out there.”
Wilson’s strong showing came only weeks after a major personal moment for his family. Earlier this month, Wilson and his wife, Nicolette, shared the first photos of their newborn daughter after a seven-week stay in ICU.
Nicolette posted family pictures on Instagram showing the couple holding Francesca Belle in the hospital. In her message, she wrote: “Our sweet Francesca Belle came into the world seven weeks early on July 22nd, and we couldn't love her more.
“She has been an absolute rockstar in the NICU, growing stronger every single day, and we can't wait for the day we finally bring her home!
“Miss Frankie Girl, you've already changed our lives in the most beautiful way. You've filled our hearts with a love we never knew was possible, and we couldn't love you more, sweet baby girl!!!”
The announcement drew support from around the sports world, including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and former New York Jets teammate Garrett Wilson.
The family’s happy news came a year after Zach Wilson and Nicolette were married in a lavish Manhattan ceremony in June 2025.
In Other News...
Jaguars Get An Early Liam Coen Reality Check In Preseason Win
The Jaguars got their first preseason win under Liam Coen, but the tape offered the kind of early reminder every new staff gets in August. Jacksonville beat the Saints 24-20 with most starters resting, so the spotlight fell on rookies and backups, and there were enough encouraging moments to keep the night from feeling flat. Even so, the game also surfaced familiar preseason problems: missed tackles, soft coverage on the back end and a few shaky stretches that kept the operation from looking clean.
The quarterback battle and the offensive line both added to the sense that this is still a work in progress. Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley each had their moments, with Bradley settling in after halftime, but neither offered a complete answer in a game built around evaluation. The bigger concern may be up front, where injuries to offensive linemen left the depth chart looking thinner than ideal and gave the Jaguars a fresh reason to keep watching the health of that group closely. [Read more 🡒]