Zach Wilson made his return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face his former team for the first time since being traded. Although his three-year tenure with the New York Jets did not end well, one fan made sure to let him know that he is not only forgiven, but misunderstood.
It was a surprising reception that may or may not be reciprocated by the rest of Gang Green come kickoff.
Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, went 12-21 as the starting quarterback for the Jets. He completed less than 60% of his passes with two more interceptions than touchdowns. New York frequently messed with the former BYU star’s psyche by pulling him from games when he struggled then forcing him back into the starting job on a whim.
Meanwhile, the media repeatedly tore Wilson down over the course of three difficult seasons. Very rarely did a positive article offer praise. Most of the reports alluded to locker room disfunction because of the poor quarterback play.
If that wasn’t hard enough, Jets fans were also ruthless. They booed Wilson at every opportunity and ripped him to shreds on social media.
— sports (@ilikesportsvids) September 24, 2023
New York’s decision to trade the 25-year-old quarterback to Denver during the offseason offered a fresh start for both sides. Zach Wilson, currently listed as QB3 for the Broncos, looks much happier. His former fanbase has also turned the page.
As soon as the gates opened at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, one such fan hustled all of the way down to the first row near the 50-yard-line. He started to yell at Wilson, which got everybody’s attention.
However, instead of heckling the former Jets signal-caller, the man was very kind!
I thought he was yelling at Wilson. Turns out, he was actually apologizing to him for how the New York Jets organization treated him the last couple of the years and wished him nothing but the best.
— NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo
Wilson was laughing. All of the quarterbacks around him were laughing.
They even got a photo together!
A few minutes later, Wilson hooked the fan up with a selfie. pic.twitter.com/xtIngSEphp
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 29, 2024
To make the return to New York even more unique, Zach Wilson served as Denver’s scout team quarterback throughout the week. He mimicked Aaron Rodgers during practice after playing last season alongside the four-time MVP.