Jets finalize deal to send Zach Wilson to Broncos
Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets throws a pass during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 17, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Rich Storry/Getty Images/TNS) Credit: TNS/Rich Storry
Zach Wilson is officially an ex-Jet.
The Jets finalized the trade with the Broncos on Tuesday that sent Wilson and a seventh-round pick (256) to Denver for pick No. 203 of the sixth round. The Jets also are paying half of Wilson’s $5.5 million salary.
Wilson was the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, but never lived up to the hype of being the Jets’ franchise quarterback. His three-year Jets career was filled with disappointing performances and unnecessary drama, and Wilson was benched three times.
He played in 34 games, 33 starts, and threw for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. The Jets went 13-21 in games that Wilson played.
Wilson wasn’t supposed to be the starting quarterback last season, but he was given the job after Aaron Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon four snaps into the season.
The former BYU star showed some growth and maturity from his second season when he lost his starting job twice and the locker room for refusing to take accountability for a dismal offensive performance in a 10-3 loss in New England. But the Jets’ offense continued to struggle with Wilson running it.
Wilson completed a career-best 60.1 percent of his passes last season for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in 12 games. During one five-game stretch, he threw just one touchdown pass. Over a three-game period in that span, Wilson led one touchdown drive.
He was benched in Week 11 in Buffalo and replaced by Tim Boyle, who started the next two games. Wilson was dropped to third on the depth chart behind Boyle and Trevor Siemian and was the Jets’ emergency quarterback.
Robert Saleh went back to Wilson in Week 14. That move was met with drama and controversy.
Wilson reportedly had informed teammates and coaches that he was reluctant to reclaim the starting job. He didn’t want to risk getting hurt since he had no future with the Jets.
At the time, a report also surfaced from Wilson’s hometown paper in Utah that Saleh told Wilson when he was benched that he would be traded in the offseason. Saleh didn’t deny it. Wilson, however, refuted the story about his reluctance to play and had arguably his best NFL game a few days later.
Wilson threw for 300 yards and two touchdown passes in a 30-6 win over the Houston Texans. The following week in Miami, Wilson left the game in the first half with a concussion and never played for the Jets again.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
