It’s no secret the Washington Commanders are going to be a major player in the offseason — that’s what happens when you have an estimated $101.3 million in salary cap space available and you just made a surprise run to the postseason.
It’s also not a secret that the Commanders are going to be in the market for an elite wide receiver to play alongside Terry McLaurin and catch passes from superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels.
While free agency is definitely a route to take, the Commanders might also be able to make moves via a trade, with Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay listing Washington as one of the possible trade destinations for disgruntled New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Wilson, who is just 24 years old, has been one of the NFL’s most dynamic wide receivers over his first 3 seasons despite playing on one of the NFL’s worst teams and has over 1,000 receiving yards all 3 seasons.
Wilson, Rodgers at Odds Since Training Camp Spat
A heated argument between Wilson and Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers at training camp kicked off what’s been another disastrous season in New York, where the records stands at 4-12 with 1 game remaining in the regular season.
The Jets’ streak of 14 seasons without a postseason berth is also the longest in North American professional sports.
While Wilson and Rodgers may have butted heads, the true blow to the wide receiver’s relationship with the Jets may have come when they traded for wide receiver Davante Adams, who was Rodgers’ top target during his time with the Green Bay Packers.
“Privately, there have been questions regarding whether Rodgers and Wilson can find common ground since they had a blowup during training camp,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on December 29. “While Wilson will not publicly say it, those who know him well believe he’s been frustrated at the lack of looks from Rodgers while wondering what else he can do to fix the relationship. Is getting open not enough? Those who study the film will notice him being open while the ball goes elsewhere.”
Wilson was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of Ohio State and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 after he had a career high 1,103 receiving yards.
According to Spotrac, Wilson’s current projected market value comes out to a 3-year, $70.3 million contract extension — numbers that could go up to a 5-year, $122 million contract if a team wants to lock him up long term.
Calculating Wilson’s Cost for Commanders
If the Commanders want to bring Wilson into the fold, it’s going to cost them in 2 different ways — the draft capital they would have to give up in a trade and the long-term money they’ll spend.
We can look to the recent past for a deal comparable to what the Commanders would be trying to pull off with Wilson. In April 2022, the Tennessee Titans traded 24-year-old star wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2022 first round pick and a 2022 third round pick, which is likely the price the Commanders would have to pay to get Wilson, although they might be able to turn the second pick into a lower round pick.
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Commanders Named Trade Destination for Potential $70 Million WR