The first three years of Zach Wilson’s career have been rough, to say the least. His time in New York has come to an end, as the Jets are set to cut ties with the quarterback that they selected with the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. But according to reports, the team is having trouble finding a trade partner that is willing to bring Wilson in, and the team could be forced to cut him outright.
Jets Having Trouble Finding A Home For Zach Wilson
Teams are showing little to no interest in trading for #Jets QB Zach Wilson, per @RichCimini
His options are dwindling fast. pic.twitter.com/nNA9heHPfS
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 24, 2024
Wilson became the immediate starter for the Jets during his rookie year. He didn’t look like a top-2 prospect during that first season, finishing as one of the poorest rating quarterbacks in the league. There were hopes that an improvement was on the way, but his interceptions again outweighed his touchdown passes in 2022, and he had a sub-60 completion percentage yet again.
He was pushed to the side when Aaron Rodgers was brought in ahead of the 2023 campaign. But within minutes of the opening kickoff, Wilson was thrust back into action upon Rodgers’ season-ending injury, and was subject to yet another year of scrutiny from the New York media and the fans themselves.
And while his numbers improved slightly, his performance was poor enough for the team to opt to move on this off-season. The Jets have been struggling to find Wilson a new home, though, according to insider Rich Cimini.
Wilson Owed $5.5 Million Guaranteed In 2024
Total Cash in 2024, per Spotrac:
Jarrett Stidham: $6M
Tyrod Taylor: $6M
Zach Wilson: $5.4M
Trey Lance: $5.3M
Steelers’ top 2 QBs: $4.5MEven more reason to love the acquisitions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
— Daniel Valente (@StatsGuyDaniel) March 17, 2024
There just aren’t many teams that are going to be willing to shell out $5.5 million in guaranteed money during the upcoming season for a player with a below-average (at very best) body of work thus far in his NFL career. There aren’t a whole lot of teams that have openings at their QB2 position after the free agent frenzy earlier in the month, with the Kansas City Chiefs being the only one with a legit spot.
If there is no trade partner found, then the Jets will be forced to cut Wilson and make him a free agent. If they cut him before the start of the draft, they would be getting nothing in return for a player that they selected with the 2nd overall pick less than three calendar years prior.
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