Three years after quarterback Zach Wilson was picked as the No. 2 overall draft, the Jets are moving on. Wilson didn’t show up for the start of voluntary workouts this week, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reported.
It’s a wise move by Wilson. The Jets don’t want him around anymore, but they also hope to trade him instead of releasing him outright. However, there haven’t been any takers for Wilson so far.
The Jets owe Wilson $5.4 million for 2024, guaranteed. If they cut him, they’d only get a small offset if another team signs him. Owner Woody Johnson’s stance is clear: they’ll keep Wilson if they have to pay him, even if he’s now third on the depth chart.
Some believe the Jets’ refusal to cut Wilson reflects the franchise’s ongoing dysfunction. Other teams that drafted first-round quarterbacks in 2021 have moved on from them. The better approach might be to let Wilson go, not as a favor to him, but as a message to future first-round picks.
The Jets may hope Wilson will agree to a pay cut or wait for a team to get desperate due to an in-season injury. But this situation could affect how future top prospects view the Jets.
