Getty Image
Despite making it abundantly clear that they want to move on from the former #2 overall draft pick, reports indicate that the New York Jets might be stuck with Zach Wilson next season.
According to reports, finding a trade partner for Wilson has proven to be difficult because of the guaranteed money on his contract. And unless the Jets are willing to eat some of the signal-callers salary for next season, they might be stuck with him.
“Unless the Jets will be picking up most of Wilson’s fully guaranteed compensation package for 2024, the Jets will be stuck with him,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported.
“They’ll have to eventually cut him or keep him — and pay him more than $5.4M in 2024. Their best-case scenario would be to release him and hope for the offset, if/when he signs a one-year minimum deal with another team.”
If the Jets do keep Wilson on their roster, the team will still have to go out and sign a veteran backup, as Wilson proved last season that he’s not up for the task of filling in for Aaron Rodgers should the 40-year-old full-time conspiracy theorist and part-time quarterback get injured again (Rodgers played just four snaps for the Jets in 2023 and did not even complete a single pass before tearing his Achilles).
During his three seasons in New York, Wilson started in 34 games (34 starts) and compiled a 12-21 record. In those 34 games, Wilson completed 57% of his passes for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions. Wilson also rushed 93 times for 498 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Given that Wilson is still just 24 years old and has shown plenty of physical gifts and arm talent during his three seasons in the league since being drafted out of BYU in 2021, however, there may be a franchise foolish enough to believe they can rehabilitate him.