The New York Jets Aren’t Giving Up On Former No. 2 Overall Pick Zack Wilson Just Yet

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Zach Wilson’s first two NFL seasons with the New York Jets have been…not great.

The Jets selected Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and almost immediately threw him into a starting role.

But Wilson has shown, time and again, that he’s not yet ready to handle the rigors of directing an NFL offense. Through 22 NFL starts he’s thrown for just 4,022 yards to go along with 15 touchdowns and a troubling 18 interceptions.

It’s not for lack of effort, however. In fact, the young BYU product had to be told to spend less time in the team facility studying tape by four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers.

It just hasn’t clicked for Wilson. Jets head coach Robert Saleh benched him for Mike White mid-way through the 2022 season. Many assumed that would be the last we saw of him in a Jets uniform. But Wilson is determined to make it work.

As it turns out, the Jets may be equally as determined.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports that New York wants to acquire a veteran quarterback in the offseason. But Howe also states that it doesn’t plan on letting Wilson go in the process.

The Jets remain poised to acquire a veteran quarterback this offseason to take over the starting job, but they’re still assessing their plan of attack. The names to watch are Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo and Derek Carr.

As for Zach Wilson, the Jets don’t intend to trade their 2021 first-round pick because there’s hope he can develop while learning more in a backup capacity.

Trading Wilson now likely does very little for New York. He holds little to no value and is unlikely to net much of a return. So it makes sense that they’d keep him around on a rookie contract and let him learn from a veteran. At worst, the pick is already a sunk cost and you let him go when the time comes.

But it appears they’re willing to give him at least one more shot at figuring things out.