Jets general manager Joe Douglas held his pre-draft press conference Friday at Florham Park.
Part of the 15-minute session with reporters was spent talking about a 2021 draft pick instead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Douglas answered several questions about the status of Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, who remains on the Jets’ roster despite the player and team filing for divorce months ago.
There wasn’t much news to report. Wilson is not participating in voluntary spring practices, as you might expect. The team gave his agent permission to pursue a trade months ago. The Jets did not find a buyer.
“Zach is an asset,” Douglas said. “At the same time, we’re obviously open to trading Zach. There were discussions. Nothing has really changed since we discussed it in Florida (at the owners’ meetings in March). We are ready to trade it. There is simply no news to announce on this subject.
The “asset” part of this quote is the interesting thing. This echoes what owner Woody Johnson said last month during owners’ meetings. Johnson said the team wouldn’t release Wilson if it couldn’t find a trade partner.
Is it a posture? Maybe.
But there’s also a real feeling around the Jets that they can’t release Wilson if they can’t trade him. Johnson may not want to eat up Wilson’s $5.5 million guaranteed this year. Any trade will involve the Jets paying part of his compensation for 2024, but the Jets are clearly hoping someone will take some of that salary away from them. Wilson will receive a $4.4 million bonus at the start of training camp. If the Jets pay all that, then moving on becomes even harder to swallow.
Next week’s draft appears to be the Jets’ best chance left to trade Wilson. Most quarterback seats are filled, both starters and backups, or will be filled in the draft. But maybe there’s a team that’s missing out on a quarterback target next week and is willing to take a flyer on Wilson.
If the Jets can’t move him in the draft, it’s time to move on.
The Jets are expected to release Wilson if they wake up on Monday, April 29 and no trade comes to fruition. It’s time for the heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune to rip the bandage off.
It would be a stretch to call Wilson a distraction at this point. The situation seems more like simple temptation. It’s just boring enough to irritate you.
I would like to point out that I said the situation, not Wilson himself, who has remained silent since the end of the season. But at some point, it might become more than just an annoyance. What if Wilson or his agent decided to start making noise to force the issue? Do the Jets really want Wilson to come to training camp as their third quarterback? Guess what? This will be the story of the day if that happens, not the new additions or the return of Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets remain optimistic about trading Wilson, but it’s hard to see it happening at the moment. The market for failed quarterbacks in 2021 has been set. The Patriots traded Mac Jones to the Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick. The Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers for a 2025 sixth-round pick who can become a fourth-round pick depending on playing time. Jones and Fields are both cheaper than Wilson and it can be argued that they have shown more potential, especially Fields.
There is a flood of optimism around the Jets. There’s always some after the NFL draft. Fans will be excited about whoever they add at #10. Rodgers is back on the training field. They added some exciting free agents. Wilson’s presence on the roster will be a deterrent to that. It’s not worth it for the Jets to continue carrying him on the roster.
For now, the story is that Wilson remains out of the spring program. He should stay away. If you were Wilson, would you show up to work for people who have made it clear they no longer want you? This is all voluntary until June minicamp.
“I think it’s each player’s choice if they want to be here for the first phase,” Douglas said. “This is all voluntary. There are quite a few players who didn’t come the first week. This is a decision Zach must make if he wants to be here.
I think it’s pretty clear that Wilson doesn’t want to be in Florham Park anymore and the Jets don’t want him in Florham Park anymore.
If you can’t find him a new team next weekend, it’s time to finalize the divorce, Woody.
New York Post
