The New York Jets would reportedly like Zach Wilson to come back to the starting lineup. He’s reportedly not thrilled about the idea and, you know what? That makes perfect sense.
Wilson had been demoted to third string the last two weeks, forced to stand at the ready as emergency quarterback behind Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian. This was a grave statement, a desperate drill from a franchise digging wells in a desert and finding only acres of sand. Boyle was the longtime backup with baffling NFL longevity despite miniscule evidence he could ever be an asset behind center. Siemian was the replacement level journeyman who hadn’t won a game since 2017.
Those two performed roughly as well as expected. There are 56 quarterbacks who’ve played at least 16 snaps this season. Advanced stats rank Boyle 52nd after contributing -0.258 expected points added (EPA) per play this season — effectively costing his offense a point every four downs he’s on the field. Siemian ranks 54th at -0.366. Zach Wilson, as bad as he is, hasn’t quite plumbed those depths of abomination behind center.
And he may not again in 2023. Because despite the Jets’ desperation, Wilson isn’t sure about making his return. You know, because he got benched for a guy who is arguably the worst seven-year veteran in NFL history.
The Jets want to make a switch at QB. The team is leaning towards Zach Wilson to take over, but he is reluctant to stepping back in, sources tell @zackBlatt and me. The team is discussing next steps. More on @theathletic shortly.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) December 4, 2023
Let’s be clear. Wilson has nothing to gain from returning to the lineup. From a logical and experiential experience, Wilson is right to be doubtful. He is not the answer based on who he’s been on the field the last two-plus seasons. More importantly, he is not the answer because the New York Jets have told him, repeatedly and in no uncertain terms, he is not the answer.
New York was right to look for an escape clause when Aaron Rodgers became available last spring. The public overtures to replace Wilson from inside his own organization? Less right. Players and staffers alike made it clear they were happy to ditch Wilson for an upgrade, even if that upgrade were 39 years old and coming off what had been his worst season as a full time starter.
Wilson’s rookie contract left no financial benefit to a trade and his play on the field left him untradable. But for a guy the Jets clearly no longer saw as viable, he still held a vital role as the understudy for the league’s oldest QB.
There were, of course, several ways this all could have been avoided. If the Jets had no use for Wilson they could have supplanted him with a veteran backup this offseason when players like Case Keenum, Gardner Minshew and Teddy Bridgewater were all available at an average annual salary of $3.5 million or less. They could have ponied up to keep Mike White or Joe Flacco, each superior to Wilson in 2022 but only slightly so, in green and white.
Instead, New York opted for old Rodgers’ friend Boyle. This was one of many Rodgers-adjacent signings, including Allen Lazard (20 catches in 11 games and a healthy scratch for Week 12) and Randall Cobb (three catches in seven games). Boyle came into 2023 with a 3:8 career touchdown:interception ratio and a 54.5 passer rating. He has been, in news that should surprise absolutely no one, horrible as a Jet. He has one touchdown pass against four picks in three games and a 56.2 rating.
There’s a bit of fair play in Wilson, the guy who’s been buried by his own franchise repeatedly, suggesting the team lay in the bed it’s made. To tell him, in no uncertain terms, he’s their best option right now.
If Zach Wilson were asked directly by the Jets to start, he would agree to that, a source familiar with Wilson's thinking said.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) December 4, 2023
Wilson isn’t going to change the trajectory of his career by returning for Week 14. No one is going to think any less of him for being reluctant to be a team player, least of all the team that openly lobbied to have him replaced multiple times in a career that’s not even three seasons old. If he exceeds subterranean expectations it’ll do nothing to dull the pain of the 31 starts that preceded it. All that awaits is an offensive line that’s allowed a sack roughly every nine dropbacks, a smattering of boos and, best case scenario, a shrug and a nod and the begrudging acknowledgement “hey, that could have been worse.”
That’s where the Jets are right now. The only hope they’re capable of generating come from a 40-year-old man seemingly unable to comprehend the gravity of a torn Achilles as he teases a wildly unlikely return in a lost season. New York found a way to be worse than Zach Wilson and need his help once again. This is a tremendously sad and stupid sentence to write and it sums up the franchise perfectly.
Wilson is contractually obligated to continue playing awful football for a team that would see mere badness as a significant upgrade. But he doesn’t have to instantly accept each pile of crap the Jets shovel on him.
He’s got concerns about being thrown back into the starting lineup after being demoted to third string for two weeks. He’s earned them.
