Zach Wilson was supposed to be the main player for the New York Jets. But things didn’t go as planned, and he ended up being a symbol of letdown instead. Now, the Denver Broncos are allowing him to revive his career.
The Jets traded Wilson to the Broncos on Monday, according to a person familiar with the deal. In exchange, the Jets are sending Wilson and a seventh-round pick in this week’s NFL draft to the Broncos for a sixth-rounder.
The person shared this information with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the teams haven’t officially announced the deal. NFL Network was the first to report the trade.
After three disappointing seasons with the Jets, Wilson is moving on. ESPN reported that New York and Denver are splitting Wilson’s $5.5 million salary for this season as part of the deal.
Wilson arrived at the Jets with high hopes after being drafted from BYU. He was known for his exceptional athletic skills and ability to make tricky throws. However, he struggled a lot in his first two seasons with the Jets. Then, last offseason, the Jets brought in Aaron Rodgers to be their starter.
When Rodgers got injured early in the season, Wilson got another chance to start. But he couldn’t maintain consistency or play effectively, showing little improvement from his previous years.
After getting benched twice in his second season, Wilson found himself sidelined again after 10 games. He watched from the sidelines for two games as Tim Boyle struggled in two starts.
The Jets then turned back to Wilson. There was a lot of talk about him when The Athletic reported that he might be hesitant to return as the starter because of possible injury concerns. Wilson later denied this and said he was eager to get back into the game.
He made a strong comeback, possibly his best performance yet. He completed 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards — the third time in his career he threw for 300 or more yards — and two touchdowns in the Jets’ 30-6 win over Houston.
Wilson was even named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. But unfortunately, he suffered a concussion the following week in the first half of the Jets’ 30-0 loss to Miami on Dec. 17. After that, he didn’t play again.
Coach Robert Saleh commented on Wilson’s performance late in the season, saying he thought Wilson showed great determination throughout the season. Saleh believes Wilson has the potential for a long career in the NFL.
However, it seems that won’t be with the Jets.
Rodgers is back this season, and the Jets signed veteran Tyrod Taylor last month to be his main backup. Last year, the plan was for Wilson to learn from Rodgers and then possibly take over. But Rodgers’ injury changed that plan.
Saleh called it an unfortunate turn of events. General manager Joe Douglas mentioned during the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February that the Jets had allowed Wilson and his agents to explore a trade.
He reiterated this last Friday, calling Wilson an “asset” and indicating the Jets were willing to trade him. And now, Wilson is starting fresh in Denver.
He’s joining a quarterback group that includes Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci after Russell Wilson was let go last month. Russell Wilson signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Denver currently has the 12th overall pick and might still be looking for a quarterback.
But the Broncos have other needs too. If they don’t pick a quarterback, Wilson and Stidham will compete in training camp to see who gets the starting job. Stidham has been in the league for five years and has a 1-3 record as a starter.
He played two games last season when Russell Wilson was benched. DiNucci lost his only start back in 2020 with Dallas.
Stidham was the 13th quarterback to start for Denver since Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season. Since then, the Broncos haven’t made it to the playoffs and have had seven losing seasons in a row. Last year, they finished 8-9 under first-year coach Sean Payton.
The Broncos have to pay $37.79 million of Russell Wilson’s $39 million salary in 2024. They also have $85 million in dead cap charges over the next two seasons. So, it’s unlikely they’ll pick up the $22.4 million fifth-year option on Zach Wilson’s rookie contract.
This means he’ll probably become a free agent next year.
Wilson didn’t have a great record as a starter, going 12-21 in 33 games. He threw for 6,293 yards and 23 touchdowns but also had 25 interceptions.
His career completion percentage is 57%, and his passer rating is 73.2, both among the worst in the NFL. He also scored five touchdowns by running.
This move is similar to how the Jets traded Sam Darnold to Carolina in 2021, just before they drafted Wilson. Darnold, the third pick in 2018, also didn’t meet the high expectations, just like Wilson.
