On Monday, Douglas stated that there have been talks with teams, but no deals are currently in progress. He did not offer any predictions on the possibility of Wilson staying with the team until the 2024 season. The Jets may choose to wait until the draft and try to find a team interested in trading.
If the Jets decide to release him, they will still be responsible for paying him .5 million and will not receive any cap relief. The charge of .2 million will still stand. On Feb. 28, general manager Joe Douglas announced that Wilson had been granted permission to speak to other teams about a possible trade. From all indications, Wilson — benched for two games last season — wants to move on.
Tyrod Taylor, who is 34 years old, signed a two-year contract worth $12 million. Coach Robert Saleh praised Taylor’s outstanding leadership in the locker room. There are plans to bring in another quarterback, potentially a rookie, to join the team. However, according to Johnson, there is a possibility that Wilson could also fill that role.
Johnson informed a small gathering of reporters at the NFL league assembly that if we choose not to exchange him, we will retain his services.
Johnson suggested that it may be beneficial for him to do it here, but also acknowledged that it would be more advantageous for him to change his surroundings and start fresh. He could start with a clean slate by doing so, which Johnson believes would ultimately be in his best interest.
The New York Jets are still determined to make a trade for their former starting quarterback, Zach Wilson, according to team officials on Monday. However, the expected split took a surprising turn when owner Woody Johnson mentioned another possible outcome.
During the NFL Honors event in Las Vegas on February 9, Johnson potentially lowered Wilson’s market value when he stated to media, “We require a backup quarterback. We were lacking one last year.” However, he later retracted his statement on Monday, acknowledging it was unjust to solely blame one player for the poor performance of the entire offense.
Wilson’s 2021 draft class has seen two of its members, Justin Fields and Mac Jones, traded during this offseason. However, the Jets have been unable to find any interested parties willing to trade for Wilson.
“I believe the key is to make it a win-win situation for both the team and the player,” expressed Douglas. “Everyone is striving towards that, but ultimately we must prioritize what is best for the team.”
Rich Cimini is a writer for ESPN.
In a recent statement, Johnson retracted his criticism of Wilson’s 2023 performance and instead praised him as a valuable asset. It seems he may be making a last-ditch effort to generate interest in the former first-round pick. However, he also acknowledged that a trade may be the best option for Wilson, who struggled after stepping in for the injured Aaron Rodgers in Week 1.