The Zach Wilson era with the New York Jets may not be ending just yet.
As the 2023 NFL season concluded, both the Jets and the former second-overall pick agreed to part ways during the offseason to allow Wilson a chance at getting a fresh start elsewhere. As the weeks have gone by, though, New York has struggled to find a trade partner willing to take on Wilson’s large cap hit as a backup quarterback.
Now, with most of the backup quarterback roles filled up, the Jets might have to go into another season with the former high draft pick on the roster. According to Jets owner Woody Johnson, this wouldn’t be such a bad thing either.
Woody Johnson Provides an Update on a Potential Zach Wilson Trade
At the annual league meeting in Orlando, Fla., on Monday afternoon, Woody Johnson made it clear that, despite the organization’s unsuccessful efforts in finding a trade partner, they have no plans to release Wilson, whose talent the Jets owner spoke glowingly about.
“He’s got the skill,” Johnson said. “He can do everything. There’s a reason we drafted him at No. 2 overall. I have confidence that he’ll get there.”
The bigger question is not whether the Jets owner believes that Wilson’s talent shows he can belong on an NFL team but whether he will stay with the Jets. General manager Joe Douglas said before Johnson spoke that the organization would “do what’s best for the team,” regarding Wilson.
To Johnson’s eye, that means the team might keep the second pick well into training camp.
“If we don’t trade him, we’re going to keep him,” Johnson stated. “It’s probably better for his standpoint if he changes places. He can wipe the slate clean.”
In his three seasons since being the Jets’ second-overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson has been a huge disappointment. He has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns (25 picks to 23 touchdowns), has completed under 60% of his passes, and has been benched for different reasons each season.
The latest benching came after the Jets were in the middle of a five-game losing streak in 2023. After struggling through two more losses, New York was prepared to go back to Wilson, but the quarterback was reportedly against hitting the field again — preferring to sit the remainder of the season and be released after the year was over.
While Wilson publicly denied saying such things, his tenure with the Jets seemed to be on its last legs before a concussion in Week 16 cost him the rest of his 2023 campaign.
KEEP READING: Zach Wilson’s Trade Suitors — Top Landing Spots for Jets QB Include Rams and Saints
The 2024 offseason has seen young quarterbacks like Mac Jones, Kenny Pickett, and Justin Fields all be moved for late-round draft capital to become backup quarterbacks for other organizations. While that could be the result for Wilson and the Jets, the longer he remains on the active roster, the longer it seems New York will struggle to find a trade partner willing to take his $11 million cap hit.
Should a trade partner not be found, it seems New York is willing to bring back their disgruntled young quarterback for training camp and beyond.
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