Jets general manager Joe Douglas announced Wednesday that the team has given quarterback Zach Wilson the option of seeking a trade.
Wilson was the No. 2 selection of the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson never lived up to that lofty draft status. The Jets then traded for Aaron Rodgers last year. Although Wilson started 11 games last year after Rodgers’ Achilles injury, there does not seem to be any room for Wilson.
Douglas spoke to reporters who are covering the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. It is where all league news is breaking this week.
“Where we are exactly, we’ve given them permission to talk to other teams about a trade,” Douglas said. “I’m going to circle back with [Wilson’s agent] at some point, either this week or next week, just to see how those conversations are going. But other than that, there’s nothing else to report.”
Wilson, the former BYU standout, is only 12-21 as a starter with the Jets. He has a career completion average of 57 percent. That is not a winnable stat for quarterbacks. He also has thrown 23 touchdowns, with 25 interceptions. Again, it is difficult to win with that ratio.
When the Jets secured Rodgers, who turned 40 last December, Wilson was supposed to be able to relax, somewhat, and learn from one of the best quarterbacks in the game. But that plan immediately changed when Rodgers ruptured his Achilles on the fourth offensive snap of the Jets season opener.
His numbers improved, somewhat, last season. He started 11 games after the Rodgers injury. His completion percentage bumped up to 60.1 percent. He threw for 2,271 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Jets GM said the team now will look at veteran quarterbacks to sign as a backup for Rodgers.
“Yeah, that’s part of the discussions that we’ve had,” Douglas told reporters. “It’s an area that we’re going to be addressing moving forward. Again, we’re still really early in the offseason, especially when it comes to the veteran backup landscape and market.
“We’ve had good meetings, good evaluations with the guys who are available. And I think we’re ready to take the next step and see where the market is exactly with these backup quarterbacks.“
Wilson seems headed to a backup role, as of now. The NFL Draft is top heavy with quarterbacks, with as many as six going in the first round. And, teams can look at more successful veteran quarterbacks than Wilson, with the possibility of Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Baker Mayfield on the market
More must-reads: