Jets GM committed to keeping Zach Wilson amid Aaron Rodgers rumors

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas hinted Tuesday that the veteran quarterback the club lands this offseason will be tasked with mentoring 2021 second-overall draft pick Zach Wilson.

"Again, our stance on Zach hasn't changed," Douglas told reporters at the NFL combine on Tuesday, per Kevin Patra of the league's website. "We feel like Zach has a very high ceiling. Obviously, the first two years haven't played out the way that anybody's hoped, but we still feel like there's a very high ceiling with Zach. In my time in the league, I've found that when players love this game and players work their tails off, they usually hit their ceiling. We feel like Zach definitely has those traits. So still feel strongly that Zach is gonna be able to hit his ceiling."

Jets head coach Robert Saleh benched Wilson multiple times this past season but suggested ahead of Week 18 that he wanted the 23-year-old to concentrate only on the 2023 campaign at that time. Since then, the Jets have routinely been linked in rumors with Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers, who turns 40 this coming December, reportedly has a solid relationship with Wilson. As noted by Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday he hasn't yet had "those conversations" with Rodgers about 2023 following the future Hall of Famer's four-day "darkness retreat." Rodgers could restructure his contract to remain with Green Bay, work with the Packers on a trade, or retire. 

The Jets seem to favor trading for Rodgers over signing free agent Derek Carr, but Douglas did say Tuesday the team recently had "a fantastic visit" with Carr and will meet with him again during the combine. However, former Jets quarterback and current "The NFL Today" analyst Boomer Esiason raised eyebrows when he said last week that he knows Carr "is concerned from the Jets' perspective that Zach Wilson" isn't going anywhere. A concern is Carr may not want to mentor a possible replacement. 

Meanwhile, others have campaigned for the Jets to sign former San Francisco 49ers starter Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency next month. It's unclear how Garoppolo would feel about sharing a quarterback room with Wilson after the 31-year-old temporarily lost his job to Trey Lance last year. 

"We're going to look at every available option," Douglas added about searching for a proven signal-caller. "We feel like when it's time to make the right decision, when everyone goes through their process, we're going to make the best decision for the Jets."

It appears that decision will be made with Wilson in mind.