Giants icon offers brutal assessment of Jets' Zach Wilson
New York Giants legend, WFAN radio host and CBS Sports NFL analyst Tiki Barber added his name to the long list of individuals who believe the New York Jets can no longer start struggling quarterback Zach Wilson.
"Zach Wilson thinks he knows what to do with the football," Barber explained during Monday's edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "He actually has no idea what to do with the football. I want to say it’s coaching, but that’s too easy of a blame. I want to say he’s still learning and he’s still young, but the problem is, it feels like he’s still a rookie, and he’s in his third season. I can’t put that on new players, a new system, new situations. There is a confidence that he lacks. There is an outward confidence that he has, but it’s fake. It’s not real."
Jets head coach Robert Saleh benched Wilson on multiple occasions last season and intended to give the second overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft a redshirt campaign so he could sit and learn behind future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles early in the regular-season opener, however, and Wilson is now arguably the league's worst player at the position after three weeks of action.
According to ESPN stats, Wilson began Monday ranked dead last among qualified players with a 57.0 passer rating and a 52.4% completion percentage on the season. He was also 33rd out of 34 players with a 27.0 adjusted QBR after he largely appeared timid throughout much of Sunday's 15-10 home loss to the New England Patriots that dropped the Jets to 1-2:
Even if the Jets ultimately add a veteran quarterback to the roster, that player likely would need at least a week to learn New York's offense while sitting beneath Wilson and unproven veteran Tim Boyle on the depth chart.
Boyle has thus far made just three career NFL starts and has attempted only 106 total regular-season passes, but Barber nevertheless thinks the 28-year-old should get the nod for the Jets' upcoming "Sunday Night Football" matchup against the 2-1 Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium.
"He stands in the pocket, knows what he wants to do with the football, and he delivers," Barber said about Boyle. "It might not always be right, but it doesn’t matter. Zach Wilson doesn’t even do that. We’re talking about Tim Boyle. They are better off starting Tim Boyle."
Chichester noted that Saleh told reporters on Monday that Wilson is "our unquestioned quarterback" until further notice. Whether or not the coach will change his mind if he and Wilson hear loud boos from home fans this coming Sunday night remains to be seen.
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