The quarterback of the moment for the Jets is newly acquired Aaron Rodgers, but the team is still holding out hope for its last would-be quarterback savior Zach Wilson.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas praised Wilson again on Tuesday and said he believes the 2021 first-round pick will benefit from playing behind Rodgers, the four-time MVP.
“I feel like this is going to be a great thing for Zach,” Douglas said. “Zach’s ceiling is unlimited. No one works harder. No one loves ball more than Zach Wilson. Him having the opportunity to really shadow and be with a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback every day, every hour he’s in the building, that’s a great opportunity and a great experience.”
The two quarterbacks have a relationship that dates back to when Wilson was playing at BYU.
Rodgers recruited Wilson to hire his agency to represent him before he entered the draft.
Wilson hired a different agent, but the two remained in contact. When the Jets and Packers held joint practices in Green Bay in 2021, Rodgers spoke highly of Wilson and the two had lengthy conversations on the practice field.
If Rodgers is committed to the Jets for two years, Wilson likely will never be the top quarterback for the team again. He can hit free agency in 2025 unless the Jets pick up his fifth-year option, which seems highly unlikely.
Douglas got the Rodgers trade done. Now, he has to reach a long-term deal with DT Quinnen Williams. Williams is scheduled to make $9.6 million this year on his fifth-year option. The going rate for the top players at his position is now around $23.5 million per season.
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“Still optimistic,” Douglas said of getting a deal done. “I’m having a lot of positive discussions with [agent] Nicole [Lynn]. I feel optimistic. I feel like we’re trending in a good place. So, optimistic and hopeful is how I’d describe that.”
Williams retweeted a post of Douglas saying those words, with a photo of Williams sipping tea and the quote “optimistic.”
Stay tuned.
WR Corey Davis surprisingly remains on the roster.
Aaron Rodgers traded to the Jets
On Monday, after months of speculation and rumors, the Jets and Packers came to an agreement on a trade that brings four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to New York.
The trade immediately upgrades the Jets from rising team to playoff contender with the hopes that Rodgers will help break one of the longest active postseason droughts in sports.
The trade
The Jets receive: Aaron Rodgers, No. 15 pick (2023) and No. 170 pick (2023).
The Packers receive: No. 13 pick (2023), No. 42 pick (2023), No. 207 pick (2023) and a conditional second-round 2024 draft pick that conveys to a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets’ plays in 2023.
What comes next
The trade still needs to be finalized — the terms of Rodgers’ contract need to be worked out — and sent to the NFL.
Both teams will begin feeling this deal as early as Thursday at the 2023 NFL Draft.
For the Packers, it’s now about getting fourth-year QB Jordan Love ready to take over. With Gang Green, it’s about getting a whole host of new faces on the same page offensively.
The Jets could save $10.5 million in salary-cap space by cutting Davis, so the expectation was he would be gone.
Douglas praised Davis as a good teammate on Tuesday, but also did not commit to his being on the team in 2023.
“We all know that there’s a business aspect of football,” Douglas said, “but Corey is a valued member of this team.”
