Jets' OROY winner Garrett Wilson: 'Awards are cool and all, but we want to start winning games'
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Garrett Wilson had a special night Thursday, but the Jets’ talented receiver would rather have been at a nearby resort watching on TV with some teammates than sitting in Symphony Hall for the NFL Honors show.
That would mean the Jets are in the Super Bowl.
Players from teams in the big game don’t attend the league’s annual awards show. Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday. He said the award meant “everything,” but he wants more than individual honors.
“Being part of a team that gets in the playoffs, has a chance to play until this time of the year,” Wilson said. “I’m not even allowed to go to an event like this because we got a game on Sunday - that’s the goal. That’s next step. It’s going to take some time to build to that. But we’re confident in what we have. I’m confident in what we got. That’s the next step. The rest of the personal accolades will come with it.”
The Jets aren’t that far off from being a playoff team.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” Wilson said.
But they need is a quarterback who can get them there. That’s been the story for a long time, but they are going big-game and big-name hunting this offseason.
Aaron Rodgers is the one name that comes up the most. If the Jets can land him, they figure to be in good shape to snap their 12-year playoff drought and maybe even contend for the AFC title.
The Jets started 7-4 last season before performance at the quarterback position played a big part in the derailing of their season. They lost their final six games.
But the Jets have something to offer Rodgers or any veteran quarterback who could be on the move. They have talent on both sides of the football, good, young, hungry players who are ready to take the league by storm and change the fate of this franchise.
On the same night Wilson won his award, Sauce Gardner was named Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Gardner was one of the best cornerbacks in the league this past season. He made First-Team All-Pro. Former Jets great Darrelle Revis, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday night, said Gardner “has no ceiling.”
The Jets have another rookie that probably would have won Offensive Rookie of the Year had had stayed healthy. Breece Hall tore his ACL in Week 7, but he was off to such an impressive start.
“There wouldn’t have been no competing,” Wilson said. “It would have been a runaway for Breece, Breece winning it, barring injury. But it’s special. We feel like our best days are ahead of us as an organization as young guys.
“We’re trying to change the culture. Awards are cool and all, but we want to start winning games, we want to start winning games here soon. It’s awesome when you get recognized for the work you put in on the field, but it has to turn into wins at some point.”
Gardner said he’s “extremely excited” about the future of the Jets and to see how a healthy Hall can help the offense that became far less effective after he got hurt.
“He’s going to have that chip on his shoulder next season,” Gardner said. “I can’t wait to watch him. We know he’s going to dominate.”
Wilson said the way last season ended was difficult, but he also feels the Jets will grow from it, especially the young players
“Finishing the way we did kind of made us all look in the mirror and realize we got some growing up to do,” Wilson said. “We are young dudes. Maybe we weren’t built for a 17-game season. That’s not going to be the case next year.
“Sometimes it takes looking in the mirror and being hard on ourselves and taking a loss to take that next step. We don’t ever want to feel that way again and we want to make sure our best days are ahead of us and we’re playing the best football at the end of the season.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
