National Football League

Jets give Zach Wilson permission to seek trade, likely ending New York tenure

Published Feb. 28, 2024 1:32 p.m. ET

It appears increasingly likely that Zach Wilson's time with the New York Jets has ended.

The quarterback has received permission from the team to seek a trade, Jets general manager Joe Douglas told reporters Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

It has been expected for quite some time that New York would part ways with Wilson this offseason. The Jets reportedly approached the quarterback in the final weeks of the 2023 season and informed him that he would be traded after the year.

If Wilson is indeed traded, it would mark the end of a largely disappointing tenure in New York. The Jets selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, making him one of the five quarterbacks picked in the first round that year.

Wilson mostly struggled in his first two seasons, throwing more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (15) as the Jets had one of the league's worst offenses. He was benched late in the 2022 season as the Jets struggled to win games despite their defense ranking among the best in the league.

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As a result, the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers during the 2023 offseason, making him the starting quarterback. But Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear on the fourth play of the season, making Wilson the starting quarterback again.

He posted better stats in 2023 than he did in his first two years, but still mostly struggled. He completed 60.1% of his passes for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 77.2 passer rating. He was briefly benched in November, sitting out two games before the Jets made Wilson their starter again. He then suffered a concussion in Week 15, causing him to miss the final three games of the season.

Rodgers is returning to the Jets in 2024, but it's unclear who else will be in the quarterbacks room. Douglas said the team is "ready to take the next step and see where the market is with these backup quarterbacks."

As for where things sit with Wilson, Douglas said he's had "good conversations" with the QB's agent and they plan to circle back at some point in the coming weeks.