While New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stole all the headlines this summer with everyone excited to see him play, the Jets let it be known that they were extremely high on backup quarterback Zach Wilson. Three weeks into the season, that appears to be a mistake.
Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, lost the support of the locker room last season. He went 8-14 in his first two seasons as the starting quarterback, completing just 55 percent of his passes with a 15-18 TD-INT ratio. So, New York went all-in on Rodgers during the offseason.
- Zach Wilson stats 2023: 52.4% completion rate, 5.6 yards per attempt, 57.0 QB rating, 467 passing yards, 2-4 TD-INT, 8 sacks, 0-2 record
Even as Hard Knocks and various press conferences highlighted the jubilation Jets players and fans had that Rodgers had replaced Wilson, the Jets’ organization let it be known they hadn’t lost any hope in their former to pick. There were glowing reports on Wilson heading into training camp and the third-year quarterback generated even more buzz for showing huge improvement during the summer.
Related: Week 4 fantasy rankings
In the weeks since Wilson replaced Rodgers and took over as the leader of the Jets’ offense, though, things have spiraled. Once viewed as a Super Bowl contender, New York is now shaping up to be a team that will be picking high in the 2024 NFL Draft order. Yet, despite everything general manager Joe Douglas invested into this 2023 team, it appears New York still isn’t willing to pursue an upgrade at quarterback.
During the CBS Sports’ NFL pregame show on Sunday, Jonathan Jones reported that the Jets have no interest in trading for a veteran quarterback and remain high on Wilson as their starter.
“The Jets believe in Zach Wilson, many in the league do not. They seem certain he’s a different quarterback than who we saw last year. They have kicked the tires on some quarterbacks who would’ve been his backup after Rodgers went down, but they have shown no interest and I mean none, in adding a starting-caliber veteran.”
Jonathan Jones on New York Jets’ approach with quarterbacks
- Zach Wilson career stats: 54.9% completion rate, 6.3 yards per attempt, 69.2 QB rating, 179.6 passing yards per game, 75 sacks, 8-16 record
In Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the New England Patriots, Wilson finished with just 157 passing yards on 36 attempts. It marked the 11th time in his career that Wilson finished with fewer than 160 passing yards. He also completed just 47.6% of his pass attempts in the past two weeks.
During his post-game press conference, head coach Robert Saleh indicated that Wilson still gives the team the best chance to win of its current options. However, the tone and length of time it took him to respond has led to some speculation that New York will at least begin exploring its options.
While a trade for someone like Kirk Cousins or Jacoby Brissett remains extremely unlikely, Matt Ryan and Carson Wentz have both expressed interest in playing for New York. If Wilson’s struggles continue, one of the veteran quarterbacks will likely get a call.