A few weeks ago, with the New York Jets announcing that they would officially allow Zach Wilson to be traded, fans of the former BYU star QB rejoiced as it seemed that Wilson would be given a second chance somewhere. Even though it likely meant being a backup to some franchise QB somewhere else and possibly not seeing the field again for a few years, it was at least an opportunity away from the Jets, who, in many, destroyed his confidence and morale these past few seasons.
The hours following the announcement turned to days, and those days have become weeks. Zach Wilson continues to wait without any teams picking him up and he is left watching every other team that seemed like a great fit find their own pieces and trades to fill their QB needs.
Likely Fits Pass on Zach Wilson, Leaving Him Still on the New York Jets
A few teams seemed like great fits when the news came out a few weeks ago. The Steelers didn’t have any quarterbacks, the Vikings looked like they were looking for a new starter and a solid backup, the Falcons needed some stability, San Francisco needed a backup behind Brock Purdy, and there was a mystery about whether Tampa Bay was going to be able to resign Baker Mayfield.
In the past two weeks, all of those questions have been answered, yet Zach Wilson is still with the New York Jets, at least we think.
Last week, Wilson put his home up for sale in New Jersey, making some wonders about whether the New York Jets and Wilson have had conversations behind closed doors about the possibility of Wilson being cut entirely from the team if they aren’t able to trade him.
In other words, it is possible that the former number two pick in the 2021 NFL Draft will not have a job at all here in a few weeks.
Teams May Still Want Wilson, But Likely After the 2024 NFL Draft
The NFL Draft is just over a month away, and we are getting to the point where teams are less likely to sign a player, particularly a backup. In all likelihood, a team out there wants to sign Zach Wilson, but they will probably first want to see what is available in the NFL Draft.
Last year, Will Levis fell from a likely early first-round draft pick to a second-round draft pick. A team like the Rams or Chargers may be interested in Wilson, but if a player like Michael Penix Jr. or J.J. McCarthy (although that’s starting to look very unlikely) ends up being on the board by the time these teams have their first or second pick, they may be more happy and content to sign them than pick up Wilson.
There aren’t three Michael Penix Jr.’s out there, so there will be some teams who are waiting that will ultimately not get a surprise QB pickup, but it wouldn’t be shocking to at least see all of these teams wait to see if they are the lucky one.
Conclusion
Zach Wilson has had a rough career to this point. The hard part is the flashes have been there. Sometimes, a player is just a bust from day one, and it is obvious to everyone. Looking at Wilson’s stats as a whole, he is a bust. But if you watch the games, there are moments and throws that make you wonder, could this guy be developed into a star? That was the goal with the Jets this past year, but then Aaron Rodgers went down on the first possession of the season opener, forcing Wilson to become QB1 again.
The final to this story isn’t final yet, but if things continue in the direction they have been for the majority of WIlson’s career, it could end up being a tragic ending.
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