Jets' owner Woody Johnson leaves the door open to Zach Wilson remaining with the team in 2024
Zach Wilson’s tenure with the New York Jets is over, right? Right? Maybe not. That is according to Jets’ owner Woody Johnson. Wilson was selected number two overall by the Jets back in 2021 in what was supposed to be one of the best quarterback classes history. Since then, we have seen three of the […]
Zach Wilson’s tenure with the New York Jets is over, right? Right? Maybe not. That is according to Jets’ owner Woody Johnson.
Wilson was selected number two overall by the Jets back in 2021 in what was supposed to be one of the best quarterback classes history. Since then, we have seen three of the five QBs taken in the first round traded into backup roles with Wilson and number one overall pick Trevor Lawrence left as the sole outliers.
That was all supposed to change this offseason after the Jets brass, including Johnson himself, spelled out their intent to move on from Wilson after another failed season. Now it seems like Johnson is backtracking his statement on the quarterback’s future.
Speaking at the annual owner’s meetings in Orlando, Florida, Jets owner Woody Johnson was asked about the embattled quarterback and his comments ranged from naïve to downright embarrassing to borderline cruel.
“If we don’t trade him, we’re going to keep him,” Johnson said at the NFL owners’ meetings. What purpose would that serve except to take a roster spot for a player that wants a shot elsewhere and the team needs to move on from?
Robert Saleh admitted earlier today that the Jets plan to add another player to the quarterback room (Spencer Rattler in the third or fourth round sounds good to me). Teams don’t carry four quarterbacks.
“I feel badly about Zach in some ways,” Johnson said. “Last year would have been great, it would have been the first time he could just sit back and watch a master at work. He’s never had that. He’s been in the fire from Day 1”.
YOU put him in the fire, Woody. You brought him into a first-time head coach, a first time OC (Mike LeFleur), an offensive passing attack that centered around Keelan Cole, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims and Ryan Griffin. Then you expected him to succeed? Now, you finally have something built around him and you know he isn’t good enough, but you hold on to him out of ego and arrogance.
Johnson even admits it would be better for Wilson if they sent him out of town, “from his standpoint, it’s probably better if he changes faces and gets to a new place and he can wipe the slate clean,” Johnson said.
“I think that would probably be better for him. I think that’s what he needs. He needs to be in a place where he can observe for a while. He’s got the skill. He can do everything. There’s a reason we drafted him at No. 2 overall. I have confidence that he’ll get there at some point.”.
So, the Jets don’t want him. He doesn’t want the Jets. There is no upside to keeping him. He would love to be elsewhere. And yet you are so married to your own failure that you will keep him on the roster? For what purpose?
“Zach is a valuable asset,” Johnson said. To whom, Woody? If he were valuable, you wouldn’t have needed to re-form your entire organization to acquire Aaron Rodgers. At the very least, you could have saved $18million in signing Tyrod Taylor.
The seller doesn’t get to determine the asset’s value. As anyone in sales will tell you, something is worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.
The league has spoken. You do not have a “valuable asset”. You have another failure at the most important position. Cut your losses.
Jets QB Zach Wilson already doing ‘legwork’ to find a potential landing spot in a trade
This isn’t exactly breaking news, but Zach Wilson will likely be traded this off season. The question now becomes to who and for what. I wrote recently about the “haul” I expect the Jets to receive for Wilson’s services next season and I think too many have the compensation projected far too low. And I […]
