Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk recently suggested that there were rumors within the NFL community indicating that Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets, might be obstructing a potential trade involving their quarterback Zach Wilson this offseason. However, according to a report from Jets insider Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Rosenblatt’s report indicates that it’s possible Wilson’s camp is trying to generate interest in him, especially as Jets general manager Joe Douglas explores trading the 24-year-old quarterback. This interest may have been spurred by recent trades involving Mac Jones and Justin Fields, who were traded for less than their draft value. Despite being drafted second overall in 2021 by the Jets, Wilson’s future with the team seems uncertain.
According to Rosenblatt, while some teams inquired about Wilson earlier in the offseason, none showed substantial interest in pursuing him. Several factors contribute to the difficulty in trading Wilson, including his $5.4 million cap hit for potential acquiring teams, doubts about his performance, and uncertainty about his roster spot on many teams.
Wilson’s tenure with the Jets has been marked by struggles, including instances of lacking accountability, multiple benchings, reported conflicts with Aaron Rodgers, and alleged reluctance to start for the team. His poor performance statistics in the 2023 regular season further diminish his trade value.
Despite Johnson’s statement that the Jets intend to keep Wilson if no trade is found, former Jets starter Boomer Esiason and Rosenblatt doubt the sincerity of this claim. Rosenblatt believes that Wilson’s departure from the Jets is inevitable, with the possibility of him being released if no trade materializes.
Rosenblatt predicts that a trade involving Wilson is likely to happen after the NFL draft, potentially with a team looking to fill their quarterback void post-draft. Therefore, the uncertainty surrounding Wilson’s future with the Jets may continue until just before training camp begins.
