Zach Wilson Gets Roasted After Aaron Rodgers Shares His Succession Plan

Normally, backup quarterbacks are insulated from the slings and arrows of social media scorn. New York Jets signal-caller Zach Wilson, however, has found himself squarely in the crosshairs.

While the arrival of Aaron Rodgers has pushed Wilson down the depth chart, he’s apparently part of the starter’s succession plan. In Rodgers’ mind, the ideal outcome in New York would feature several years under center, with the BYU product reclaiming the starting job for another decade of sustained success.

Sounds pretty sweet, right?

Well, social media wasn’t too keen on the idea. And Wilson, as the second part of the quarterback equation, was the one feeling the metaphorical heat.

Rodgers has Zach Wilson as part of his NY Jets vision

Given that Aaron Rodgers is 39 years old—that may be nearing the cusp of middle age in society, but it’s pretty old for a pro athlete—it would be reasonable to think that he joined the New York Jets for his swan song. The quarterback, however, thinks he has a good amount of gas left in the tank.

“Being able to win here would be really, really special, but why limit it to one,” Rodgers wondered in a CBS News interview that made its way onto social media. “You know, I don’t plan on this being a one-and-done, so I think we’re going to be competitive here for a long time. I’d like to be able to play a few good years here, and then hand it right back off to Zach. And let him go for the next 15, and it be a really special, you know, 18-to-20-year run of great quarterback play.”

And while you can take issue with that timeline and doubt the QB’s ability to start for the next three-plus seasons, it sounds like a pretty sweet deal if things go according to Rodgers’ plan. The modern NFL starts with the man under center, so having two decades of security would be most fans’ dream come true.

In this case, though, there was a catch.

Wilson was singled out as the weak link in that plan

That catch, in the mind of many football fans, is Zach Wilson. He joined the Jets as the second overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft and started 22 games across those two seasons. The signal-caller posted an 8-14 record in those outings before Rodgers arrived, reshaping the depth chart.

That performance doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, even if Wilson’s (hypothetical) return to the top spot would be at least a few years away.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Warren Sharp spelled things out rather clearly:

Other users, however, were a bit more blunt.

“Zach Wilson and ‘great QB play’ shouldn’t be used in the same sentence together,” user Urbo wrote. “The ayahuasca is really getting to him.”

The reference to ayahuasca, of course, harkens back to the quarterback’s previous comments about using the psychedelic drug.

Elsewhere on X, there were questions about Wilson’s ability to lead the team. One of those came FirstRoundMock:

User Burt Macklin NY also kept things simple:

With that being said, not everyone was opposed to the Rodgers and Wilson succession plan.

User Ben Esherrik wrote “Zach has been good in the preseason, still has potential if he sits behind Rodgers. Replies here are being too harsh imo.” It is worth noting, though, that his account bio reads “Probably being sarcastic,” so take the endorsement as you will.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen if that plan will ever come to fruition. Rodgers might not last several seasons in New York; even if he does, Wilson and the Jets would also have to agree to a new contract.

Social media, though, isn’t always concerned with the details.