When the Jets drafted Zach Wilson, the former BYU product was projected to be the answer to the franchise’s woes at quarterback.
But in two NFL seasons, Wilson was not the solution as he threw for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions while completing only 55.2% of his passes. In Wilson’s defense, Jets general manager Joe Douglas stated in May that his initial goal was to have had the third-year signal caller glean from a veteran quarterback during his rookie season.
Heading into Year 3, Wilson will now have the opportunity to learn from one of the league’s best in Aaron Rodgers, who was officially traded to New York from the Packers in April after months of speculation. When the trade was in progress throughout the offseason, Wilson had spoken with Rodgers and the two had the chance to spend time together.
While Rodgers prepares to lead the franchise in the ’23 season, it has not changed Wilson’s desire to still be the team’s starting quarterback at some point. But for now, the 23-year-old said he is thrilled to learn from the four-time NFL MVP.
“Of course, I would like to be the guy,” Wilson said about the impact of Rodgers joining the team. “At first, you’re not always happy about that. But I’m extremely psyched that out of any QB we could’ve brought in, it was him [Rodgers].”
Wilson’s latest comments about Rodgers come after he initially joked that he was going to make the 39-year-old’s “life hell in practice everyday.” Now, Wilson says that having the veteran signal caller at his position will play a big part in his continued growth.
