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Zach Wilson’s NFL future doesn’t figure to include the New York Jets.
Former NFL general manager Randy Mueller believes, “a trade would be good for all parties.”
“There will be a market for Wilson, for two reasons. First, he is talented, which we all saw again last week in the Jets’ 30-6 win over the red-hot Houston Texans,” Mueller explained in an article for The Athletic on Wednesday, December 13. “And second, many in the league think the Jets’ offensive roster, design, philosophy, and execution deserve a big part of the blame. As convoluted as this sounds, the Jets’ struggles on offense might actually increase the trade value of a quarterback they have benched multiple times.”
Insider Explains the Future of Wilson and the Jets
Rich Cimini of ESPN has covered the Jets for over 30 years. He said as of right now he expects Wilson to be “elsewhere next year, barring some kind of miracle run here. I believe the marriage has run its course.”
Cimini said after talking to players in the locker room he has gotten the sense, “that they think that Wilson expects to be gone.”
“I do think the Jets will trade him, I do think they will be able to get something for him, I do not believe they will pick up his fifth-year option. A decision that has to be made by early May. That seems like a fait accompli in my opinion,” Cimini explained on “The Flight Deck Podcast.”
Wilson, 24, has one year left on his rookie contract through the 2024 season. If the Jets cut him this offseason, Wilson’s entire $11.2 million cap hit would be dead money on the team’s books.
However, if they trade his contract as is, the Jets could save $5.5 million and they’d only eat $5.7 million in dead money.
Cimini said that the price tag would be “pretty hefty” for another team to pick up and suggested that the Jets could eat some of that to facilitate a potential trade. Although he reiterated that the contract is totally “movable.”
“I spoke to a personnel source not from the Jets who thinks the Jets right now could get a max of a fifth-round pick [in return] for Wilson,” Cimini said. “Obviously that could go higher if he continues to play well.”
What Happens if Wilson Continues to Perform Well for the Jets?
While Cimini believes that Wilson will be dealt away, he did leave the possibility open that things could change.
“Here is the disclaimer, I just want to say it might seem like he has one foot out the door but things can change quickly in the NFL. If he [Wilson] plays well down the stretch, it’s going to give the Jets something to think about because we are not talking about just a backup quarterback here. We are talking about a guy who was the No. 2 pick in the draft three years ago. A guy until the start of the year was being called their heir apparent to [Aaron] Rodgers,” Cimini explained.
Cimini said Wilson has strong allies in the building and name-dropped Joe Douglas, members of the coaching staff, and of course Rodgers.
“There is a feeling that he could blossom elsewhere if he lands in the right situation. A really good offensive line [and] a good supporting cast,” Cimini continued. “That is the worst thing for a front office, to give up on a player and see him blossom somewhere else. That would be a crushing blow for the Jets.”
Wilson had arguably the best game of his career versus the Houston Texans. However, when you evaluate his three-year career to date, he hasn’t been able to string together back-to-back decent performances.
The challenge for Wilson this week is to give Jets fans a discount-double check in a monster game against the Miami Dolphins. If he accomplishes that he will keep New York’s faint playoff hopes alive and has the chance to potentially change his football future.
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