Zach Wilson had the “best game of his career” on Sunday against the Houston Texans according to his head coach, Robert Saleh. The Jets won the game 30-6 at home and the offense look good.

Wilson managed to go 27 for 36 for 301 yards and two touchdowns. It was just his third career game over 300 yards passing and he did it in the rain, hitting receivers, backs, and tight ends against a pretty good Texans team.

But was it all a mirage? Is it a fluke performance based on the strange circumstances of the game? Or was a step forward a kid with all the talent that was worthy of the second overall pick that simply couldn’t put it on the field?

Following Wilson’s benching during an ugly 32-6 loss to the Bills on Nov. 19 for Tim Boyle, Saleh said the Jets would deal with Wilson’s future in the offseason. That sure sounds like “he’s off the team and just doesn’t know it yet” to me.

The Jets seemed poised to run out the season with Tim Boyle as the starter, go back to Aaron Rodgers next season with a top five draft pick and run it back with Wilson safely wearing a different uniform.

But nobody saw just how bad things could be with Tim Boyle or even Trevor Siemian under center for New York. The Jets offense went from bad to worse. The goal of survive and compete leaning on the defense changed to just survive. The Jets had no choice but to turn back to Wilson. And then a funny thing happened. He played well.

So, what happens next? What if Wilson plays well in the final few games of the season? Do the Jets attempt to make things right with the 24-year-old and bring him back next season? Or do they smile at the up-tick in his trade value?

I would argue that prior to the Texans game, the Jets would be lucky to even get someone to answer the phone on a potential trade for Zach Wilson. Looking around the league at what guys like Gardner Minshew, Jake Browning or even Joe Flacco are doing, why would anyone give up assets for Zach Wilson?

But he does have potential, and now he has put some good things on tape. Could we see Joe Douglas get some value for Wilson in an off-season trade?

Jets head coach Robert Saleh was asked about a weekend report by the Deseret News, Wilson’s hometown newspaper in Utah, that said the team told Wilson he’ll be traded during the offseason.

Saleh did not deny the report in his response.

“My conversations with him are to do everything he can to get ready to play a football game,” Saleh said. “As far as all that other stuff is concerned, those are things I will leave for Joe [Douglas].”

At this point, I would argue that Douglas getting something significant for Zach Wilson in a trade would be less of a miracle than convincing the fans that he is still the future based on a handful of games while he is already out the door.

Zach Wilson will not be on the Jets next season, no matter how well he plays in the final few games of this season. Between his play, and the comments made in the media about his future with the team, there is too much bad history to forget about and move on from.

At this point the Jets and Wilson should use each other for personal gain. Wilson should show the other 31 teams that he can play in this league, and the Jets should get some watchable football and a little more trade value for a failed draft pick.

Jets’ Wilson is impressive in victory over Texans

To paraphrase the great Eddie Murphy from his 1987 standup comedy special Raw, “If you are starving, and somebody throws you a cracker, you are going to think it’s the best cracker you ever ate.” Jets fans were starving. The Jets offense was starving. And Zach Wilson threw everyone a Ritz cracker. After a drama […]

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