Much to the surprise of Zach Wilson, according to New York Jets co-owner Woody Johnson, the team “didn’t have” a backup quarterback in 2023. But now they do, with the signing of Tyrod Taylor to a two-year, $12 million contract.
With Aaron Rodgers entrenched as the starter and Taylor as the Jets’ backup QB, where does that leave the former No. 2 overall pick? Probably traded to a new team, yet, for whatever reason, it hasn’t happened. Why?
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the Jets are trying to find a new team for their top draft pick in 2021, but so far, the “trade market hasn’t been kind.”
Judging by some of the recent trades we’ve seen, from Justin Fields being traded for a 2025 sixth-round pick that has a max potential of becoming a fourth-round selection, Cimini nailed it. The trade market for young QBs who have yet to live up to their draft status is brutal.
Even Kenny Pickett, who was selected just two years ago, couldn’t fetch more than the 98th pick, plus two 2025 seventh-round selections, despite the Steelers packaging the 120th pick along with Pickett.
So when it comes to trading Wilson, who’s 24 and has just one year left on his contract at a cap hit of $11.1 million, it makes sense that a trade has yet to materialize. Plus, we don’t know how much the Jets are asking for in terms of a trade return for their former quarterback of the future.
Either way, for now, it looks like Wilson’s trade market is dead. But that’s what we thought about Justin Fields too, and then he was traded shortly after. Chances are, a team will take a chance on seeing if they can be the ones to ‘fix’ the former star BYU quarterback, but don’t be surprised if the trade return is something like a Day 3 pick, at best.
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