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The New York Jets are heading into the 2023 season with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the organization hasn’t given up on Zach Wilson yet, despite his early struggles.
While Rodgers’ arrival in New York could be interpreted by some as a signal of the end of Wilson’s career with the Jets, general manager Joe Douglas seemingly believes that it’s an opportunity for the young signal caller to learn and perhaps, something that should’ve been done earlier.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers attends an introductory press conference at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center on April 26, 2023, in Florham Park, New Jersey. (Elsa/Getty Images)
"I go back and I look at a lot of things and things that can be done differently, things that were in our control, out of our control," Douglas told Pro Football Talk.
"And every situation’s different. I feel like in today’s NFL, when you take a quarterback in the first round, and you take a quarterback high, time’s against you. And you need to see what you have so you can make a decision in that four-year window, three-year window."
Douglas went on to suggest that he believes Wilson could’ve benefited from having a veteran quarterback in the room during his rookie season.
Zach Wilson of the New York Jets looks toward the sideline during the Jacksonville Jaguars game at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 22, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
"I think going back, it would have been great to have a veteran quarterback like a Joe Flacco that first season. But ultimately, we made the decision to jump in head first with our youth movement."
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He continued: "We know there’s going to be some growing pains, but we’re all going to grow together. I think we saw some of the benefits of that last year. But sometimes you don’t take into account the ramifications of playing a young quarterback early in his career. And so, I think if I had to do everything over again, I would have probably had that veteran presence in the room early for Zach."
The Jets spent the offseason pursuing a veteran quarterback before eventually agreeing to a trade with the Green Bay Packers. But Douglas continues to praise Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, even after acquiring Rodgers, and remains optimistic about what playing behind the four-time league MVP could mean for his career.
"Zach has an unbelievable ceiling and Zach is wired the right way in terms of his love of the game, his work ethic, his attention to detail. And so, this is a great opportunity for him to shadow one of the best passers of all time in Aaron Rodgers and pick up every little thing he can from him and get better every day," Douglas told PFT.
Zach Wilson of the New York Jets signals at the line of scrimmage against the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 18, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Before the Rodgers trade had become official, head coach Robert Saleh had a similar approach. He told reporters during the league’s annual owners meeting that Wilson was going to be the backup next season as he continues to develop, adding that he was going to "be a fixture" on the team for the foreseeable future.
"I really still think Zach has a future in this League to be a really good quarterback. I really do," Saleh said in March. "He has the work ethic. He has the mindset, and he’s coming in here to attack it, but yeah, we’re counting on him to be a fixture here for a while."