If the New York Jets want to rid themselves of Zach Wilson and his $5.5 million in guaranteed money for this season, they may have to add a sweetener for rival teams.
Rich Cimini of ESPN reported the “sense” around the NFL is that the Jets will have to attach a draft pick to Wilson in order to get a team to take on his contract. Wilson’s $4.4 million roster bonus and $1.1 million base salary are guaranteed.
The Jets would save around $5.5 million on their 2024 cap by trading Wilson but would not see any savings if they released their 2021 first-round pick. That would explain Jets owner Woody Johnson’s stance that the team has no plans on releasing Wilson despite a change of scenery being needed for both sides.
“If we don’t trade him, we’re going to keep him. From his standpoint, it’s probably better if he changes faces and gets to a new place. He can wipe the slate clean,” Johnson told reporters earlier this month. “I’m not gonna speculate. Zach is a valuable asset. He really is. I said it would be better for him, but, no, we’re just not going to release him.”
Wilson has established himself as one of the worst draft picks in Jets history over his first three seasons. He’s posted a 12-21 record as a starter while throwing for 6,293 yards and 23 touchdowns against 25 interceptions.
The Jets attempted to replace Wilson with Aaron Rodgers last season, but the four-time MVP tore his Achilles on the first drive of the 2023 season. Wilson led the Jets to a 4-7 record replacing Rodgers and was benched several times for poor play.
It’s clear all parties would be better moving on, but the front office understandably prefers a scenario where the Jets save cap space rather than letting Wilson go for free. There is almost no scenario where a team would give up draft capital to add Wilson—particularly in an offseason that saw the more talented Justin Fields go for a sixth-round pick—so the Jets will have to find a sweetener.
Perhaps a pick swap, where the Jets move down within the same round, would be enough to entice a team to take a chance on Wilson as a backup.
