There was some top-notch quarterback play in the AFC East during the 2023 NFL season, with Josh Allen finishing as an MVP candidate and Tua Tagovailoa leading the league in passing yards. But the division also featured two of the worst quarterback situations in the league, and both Mac Jones and Zach Wilson struggled to prove their worth to their respective teams during the regular season.
NFL: Wilson And Jones Both Endured Tough Seasons
SOURCE: #Jets expect “multiple” suitors in Zach Wilson trade talks.
Full details: https://t.co/AATiietVr0 pic.twitter.com/2IeyE3ciT2
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) January 30, 2024
Wilson’s situation was eerily familiar to the one he was in the year prior. The New York Jets had brought in Aaron Rodgers to lead them to a Super Bowl, but his unfortunate injury thrust Wilson back under center as the starter, and he received even more criticism for his poor performances than he did the season prior.
Jones was the outright starter for the New England Patriots entering the season. But he was benched mid-game on three separate occasions throughout the year, and was eventually a healthy scratch in Week 18 after losing his job to backup Bailey Zappe. Things had gotten so poor between him and head coach Bill Belichick, that communication between the two sides was just about non-existent at that point.
Mac Jones Was Apparently Jealous Of Wilson’s Situation
Mac Jones vented to a #Jets staff member about how the #Patriots handled his situation and was “jealous” about how the #Jets were upfront with Zach Wilson (NY Post).
Jones was so frustrated with the Patriots’ lack of communication that he told a Jets staffer he appreciated how… pic.twitter.com/G9fqPfILVu
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) January 29, 2024
According to uStadium on Twitter, Jones was so frustrated with the lack of communication that he told a Jets’ staffer that he appreciated how they handled Zach Wilson’s situation.
Wilson had become an easy weekly target for the woes of the Jets throughout the NFL season, yet the team continued to trot him out every available Sunday and seemed to show the utmost support for the young QB even through his obvious struggles. Jones apparently took notice of that situation, and noted that he lacked the backing of his head coach and organization.
The future of all parties is up in the air. Belichick is now a free agent after being let go by New England, and it looks as though he will be taking at least a year off from the coaching ranks. Jones is still under contract with the Patriots, but it is likely that he looks for a new home sooner rather than later, and Wilson has quietly hinted at wanting out of New York for the last few months.
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