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The New York Jets are 6-3 and Zach Wilson is 5-1 as the starting quarterback in 2022.
Despite all the good vibes around the organization, there has been a lot of criticism from outside the building. There is talk that the Jets are winning in spite of Wilson, not because of him.
Zach Wilson Thrown in a Jets Body Bag
Senior NFL Analyst Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders suggested that the main thing holding the Jets back from being a true contender is Wilson.
He went through every “quarterback conundrum” in the league and provided his thoughts on where they should go from here.
In the Jets subsection, he name-dropped several replacement options that the team should consider this offseason.
“The Jets would be a fine landing spot for Daniel Jones. The Jets are more talented than the Giants and better equipped to win in the short term with a mobile quasi-prospect who operates well within structure.”
Big Blue’s former first-round pick is set for unrestricted free agency after the team declined his fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Tanier said Jones could be seeking a two-year deal in the $18 million range.
Tanier suggested that the Jets could then trade Wilson in a corresponding move to someone “looking for a salvage operation.”
If the Jones pursuit didn’t work out the usual suspect in any future Jets quarterback conversation came up, Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers.
“An effective game manager with a low salary wouldn’t be a bad selection. Anything would be better than sticking with their current Blake Bortles-in-training.”
Looking Ahead to Future of Jets QB Zach Wilson
There is no greater insult than being compared to Blake Bortles. That one hurts.
However, the Jets’ front office has been strong in their stance that they’re sticking with Wilson no matter what through the rest of the 2022 season.
He has found ways to win games and has shown flashes of brilliance. If any level of consistency is developed through the rest of this campaign all of this chatter to replace him will disappear:
- Four passing touchdowns to five interceptions
- 57.5 percent completion percentage
- 1,202 passing yards
- 7.2 yards gained per pass attempt
However, if the Jets are stopped somewhere along their journey due to lackluster quarterback play that speculation will only intensify.
There is a belief around the league that the Jets not only have a playoff roster in 2022 but perhaps even a championship-contending roster. In the NFL those kinds of windows don’t last for very long so you have to take advantage of them.
This means the Jets have to find out as quickly as possible if Wilson is the guy.
No one expected Gang Green to do anything this season and thus there was a very low bar to clear. However, thanks to a 6-3 start to the season, expectations have now evolved and anything less than a playoff berth would be a massive disappointment.
Such is life in the NFL. The coaching staff did a tremendous job of operating without a target on their back through the first half of the season and now we’ll have to see if they can handle the other side of the coin.
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