The New York Jets made a major move at the quarterback position this offseason. They acquired Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, who will be stepping right into their starting lineup. Ownership believed that the only thing holding the Jets back heading into the 2023 offseason was the quarterback position, so general manager Joe Douglas took a swing for the fences.
That leaves Zach Wilson in limbo. New York selected Wilson No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft and he hasn’t come close to living up to expectations. The Jets had a winning record with him under center in 2022, going 5-4, but those victories came in spite of him more often than not.
Wilson was benched twice and the fans who were calling for him to be replaced have gotten their wish. But, the organization still has a lot of faith and confidence in the BYU product, as they still think he can be a successful quarterback in the NFL.
While Fans would love to see him off the roster, that isn’t something the Jets are even considering doing. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Wilson is locked in as the team’s backup quarterback unless something drastic occurs between now and the regular season.
“The Jets want Wilson to get the maximum amount of reps this spring and in training camp, and being the backup quarterback is the way to do it,” Costello explained. Costello also mentioned that Wilson is “better” than fellow backups Tim Boyle and Chris Streveler.”
Thus far this offseason, everything has been positive for Wilson. Jets head coach Robert Saleh has been impressed with the work that he has put in and how he has attacked the new role that he is in.
Any progress is good progress when a player has performed as poorly as Wilson has. Last season he completed only 54.5 percent of his passes, which was last among qualified players. That was actually a step backward from his rookie season when he completed 55.6 percent.
Having a quarterback on a rookie contract is one of the best values in the NFL. That is what the Jets have with Wilson and they aren’t going to toss that away for nothing. While not the starting option, 2023 is important for Wilson as he has an opportunity to learn behind one of the best to ever do it in Rodgers.
