The New York Jets have reportedly traded backup quarterback Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos, per NFL Network.
New York will be sending Wilson and the No. 256 pick in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft in exchange for the No. 203 pick in the sixth round.
The Jets and Broncos will also be splitting the $5.5 million Wilson is due for this season.
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Zach Wilson of the New York Jets walks off the field after losing to the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Nov. 12, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick by the Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft, never panned out as the organization hoped he would. Now, he gets a fresh start with an organization that has a wide open quarterbacks room at the moment with Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci in the building.
Wilson’s tenure with the Jets can only be categorized as failed, with the team giving him as much opportunity as they could to play consistent ball under center. Granted, the Jets’ offensive line and other pieces of the roster were flawed, whether it was due to injuries or bad play, but Wilson certainly had faults of his own that led to multiple benchings.
First, in 2022, head coach Robert Saleh benched Wilson after a brutal Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots, where he was 9-of-22 for 77 yards. The BYU product also infamously said he didn’t think he let the defense down after they repeatedly gave the offense chances to score points during the 10-3 loss.
Wilson rode the pine for three weeks before he got another shot under center. But, after just two weeks, Saleh benched him again for the final two games of the season, leading many to speculate what the Jets would do next.
Enter Aaron Rodgers, as the Jets finally got the blockbuster deal done with the Green Bay Packers last offseason. Jets fans believed Rodgers had come to turn the tide, but just four plays into the regular season, he tore his Achilles.
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson rolls out of the pocket against the Houston Texans on Dec. 10, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/John Munson)
Wilson, now a backup, would be thrust into the starting role once again. With the Jets’ defense a tenacious unit that kept the team in ball games, Wilson stayed afloat while throwing six touchdowns to seven interceptions in the first 10 games of the season.
But, with a 4-6 record and a 32-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 last season, Saleh once again made the call to bench Wilson, this time for Tim Boyle.
Boyle didn’t pan out either, and the Jets’ quarterback carousel saw Wilson take another turn for two weeks before not playing at all the final three games of the season.
It was obvious the Jets were attempting to move on from Wilson after his second season, but last year made it no question at all.
The Broncos, who traded Russell Wilson after their failed partnership, are looking for someone to take over and hopefully assume the role of franchise quarterback. There’s also a strong chance they draft a quarterback as well this week.
Zach Wilson of the New York Jets before the New England Patriots game at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 24, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Elsa/Getty Images)
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Wilson owned a 12-21 record with the Jets over 34 games (33 starts) with 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, 25 interceptions and a 57.0% completion rate.
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