The New York Jets traded quarterback Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos on Monday. Wilson will go to the Broncos in exchange for a late-round pick, with the teams swapping a sixth- and seventh-round pick, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Jets will also pay for part of Wilson’s salary, with the teams paying $2.75 million each, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
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This trade officially marks the end of Wilson’s tumultuous tenure with the Jets. The Jets drafted Wilson No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft in hopes he would finally be the solution to the team’s long-term quarterback woes. Coming out of college, Wilson was touted for his strong arm. He captivated analysts and spectators with an incredible Pro Day throw.
Unfortunately for the Jets and Wilson, he was never able to cement his status as the Jets’ starter. Wilson was regularly under scrutiny during his time with the Jets, which particularly began during his second season in New York. After missing the first three games of the year, Wilson led the Jets to a 5-2 start in 2022.
He wound up getting benched after a brutal loss to the New England Patriots in the final game of that seven-game stretch, when he completed just nine of 22 passes. Wilson was brought in to play again later in the season, but never had a chance to regain momentum after the benching.
The Jets showed their lack of confidence in Wilson after the season when they traded for former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2023 to help guide the team to the playoffs. Those hopes ended early when Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon on his opening drive with the Jets, and Wilson again took over the team. He was benched again later and demoted to the team’s third-string quarterback before he was brought back up to start. After playing the best game of his career late in the year in a win over the Houston Texans, Wilson missed the rest of the year with a concussion.
This inconsistency and on-and-off benching marred Wilson’s time with the Jets. Now, Wilson will have a chance to restart with the Broncos and under quarterback “guru” Sean Payton. While Payton was unable to transform Russell Wilson, he’ll get a shot at working his magic on Wilson.
It’s unclear if this trade will affect the Broncos’ quarterback draft plans. The Broncos have been among the teams rumored to be interested in selecting a quarterback in this year’s draft class — even a team many think could trade up to do so.
Given that Wilson has yet to prove himself as a consistent starter, the Broncos will more than likely pursue a quarterback in the draft if they identify one worth the pick. With Wilson, the Broncos have added some depth, but not someone the fan base will be immediately sold on.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.