Zach Wilson Skipping Jets Workout While Waiting For Trade

The New York Jets haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Joe Namath sold his soul and delivered the club their only Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl 3. Back in February, Jets’ general manager Joe Douglas admitted that the long-running curse would continue for New York, as Zach Wilson had been granted permission to seek a trade out of the Big Apple.

A few days ago, Douglas acknowledged that, while the team would look to trade Wilson, it wouldn’t do so for the sake of making a trade. The Jets still view Wilson as an asset, or at least that’s what the GM wants other teams to believe.

Now, per Rich Cimini of ESPN, Wilson is skipping Phase I of the Jets’ voluntary workouts this offseason. While the BYU alum has never missed an offseason workout to this point in his career, Douglas was sure to remind reporters that participation was voluntary at this point in the offseason:

“I think it’s each player’s choice whether they’re going to be here for Phase 1 [of the program]. These are all voluntary. There are quite a few players that haven’t come for the first week. So, look, that’s a decision that Zach has to make.”

Whether it’s via trade or release, it’ll be an unceremonious end to the ill-fated 2021-second overall pick’s career with the Jets, yet it still feels like a move that came a year too late. After Aaron Rodgers went down with an Achilles injury on his first drive in a Jets uniform, Wilson flailed to a 4-7 record as a starter last season.

Jets’ GM Remains Open To Trading Zach Wilson, But Claims He ‘Is an Asset’

New York Jets GM Joe Douglas isn’t in a rush to trade 2021 No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who isn’t participating in voluntary offseason workouts.

Wilson’s Pedigree Is All That Remains

The former second overall pick has a 23-25 touchdown-to-interception ratio for his career

Zach Wilson New York Jets QB — Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson remains a near-certainty to get traded this offseason, and despite his lack of production in the NFL, he could still be a target for QB-needy teams.

After going just 4-7 as a starter in 2023, Wilson’s career record now stands at 12-21. He’s shown marginal improvement at best over his first three seasons, and his fifth-year option is a virtual guarantee to be declined in the coming weeks, regardless of whose roster he’s on.

Zach Wilson’s Stats with Jets
Stat	2021	2022	2023
Games Played	13	9	12
Passing Yards	2,334	1,688	2,271
Passing TDs	9	6	8
INTs	11	7	7
Completion %	55.6%	54.5%	60.1%
Passer Rating	69.7	72.8	77.2

Wilson has a $5.45 million salary for 2024, which is fully guaranteed. Any acquiring team would have to be willing to take on at least a portion of that total, though the Jets would likely eat some in any potential trade.

The quarterback has an $11.2 million cap hit for the Jets this year, though the only way to alleviate some of that burden is via trade. If Wilson is released or stashed on the back-end of the roster, he will account for the same figure.

With just one year left on his contract, some team may be willing to part with a conditional late-round pick in order for a chance to get Wilson in their building. Even then, though, Wilson will be nothing more than a QB3 who may get a chance to fight for a backup role next year.

As for the Jets, the team has already brought in Wilson’s replacement, signing veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor to a two-year, $18 million deal to serve as Aaron Rodgers’ backup.

Source: Rich Cimini

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise. All salary info via Spotrac.