New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has certainly been living his best life this offseason, and posted pictures having fun with his girlfriend in the water.
The 23-year-old is preparing for life as a back-up for the next two years after the Jets brought in veteran Aaron Rodgers, but after an inconsistent season it may be exactly what he needs. Wilson was picked second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and was on one of the youngest in the quarterback pool that year.
Wilson was thrown right in at the deep end with the Jets needing a new quarterback, but finished with a 3-10 record in his rookie season and only managed nine starts in 2022. Rodgers will now start ahead of Wilson for the remainder of his mammoth three-year extension he signed with the Green Bay Packers last March after a trade to the Jets, but it doesn't appear to have upset the youngster too much.
Rodgers and Wilson have both made a positive impression OTA's, although the former Packers veteran suffered an injury scare early on. Rodgers is tasked with leading the Jets to the playoffs next season, with the franchise currently suffering from the longest postseason drought in the NFL.
Wilson remains their long-term priority and the 23-year-old will now have the perfect opportunity to learn under Rodgers, a man he idolised when growing up. But for now he's living the perfect life as any young adult would with some free time heading into the summer.
A series of Instagram stories were posted by Zach's mother on her @lifeaccording2lisa account. Clips of Wilson and his girlfriend were posted having fun on a lake, with the quarterback even balancing his other half on his shoulders while water skiing.
Wilson had moves that Rodgers would've been proud of, with the veteran growing up in sunny California. But Wilson grew up just 800 miles away in Utah, and idolised Rodgers when he was an aspiring quarterback.
"I’ve been watching him since I was a little kid, trying to replicate the way he throws, the way he plays the game," Wilson said back in October before Rodgers was linked with the Jets. "We didn't have an NFL team in Utah. I wouldn't say I was a Packers fan. I was just an Aaron Rodgers fan. I grew up watching him.
"I always liked watching their games because of him and kind of where he was at. He was a quarterback I tried to replicate and steal things from." However, the love initially died down once Rodgers joined as Wilson pledged to put pressure on the former Packers quarterback.
Wilson announced that he'd make Rodgers' life "hell in practice" next season, letting his new team-mate know he isn't going to give up on being their starter. But Rodgers fired back with the perfect response on Wednesday as he told ESPN: "He’s going to make my life hell in practice... and I’m going to make his life heaven off the field."
