Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur became the first person from the New York Jets to admit quarterback Zach Wilson may have been mishandled by the organization.

“Through two years, we haven’t done our job with him,” LaFleur said Thursday.

Specifically, LaFleur admitted the Jets likely erred on handing Wilson the starting job as a rookie. After the Jets selected Wilson No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, they did not bring in a veteran to compete with him nor be a mentor until Joe Flacco joined the team midseason.

Wilson was 3-10 as a rookie starter and missed four games with a knee injury. He was the lowest-rated starting QB in the NFL (69.7) with the lowest completion percentage of any starter (55.6 percent).

“In hindsight, it probably would have benefited him to just sit back and learn a little bit and watch a veteran and grow in this league,” LaFleur explained. “That wasn’t the course we went. From here, we’ve got to pick it up, pick up the scraps and get back to work.”

In many ways, his second season has been worse. Wilson twice has been benched in favor of Mike White, who struggled in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks as the Jets were eliminated from playoff contention. Wilson was also replaced during a Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars by fourth-stringer Chris Streveler, who had just been activated from the practice squad.

Wilson, who will be inactive when the Jets try to play spoiler against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, is again the lowest-rated QB of the 33 who’ve qualified (72.8). Plus, his passing has been even more erratic than last season (54.5 completion percentage).

“We all know Zach has not played at his absolute best,” LaFleur said.

Coach Robert Saleh said Wednesday the Jets plan to work with Wilson “through hell or high water” to maximize his potential. LaFleur reiterated that vow Thursday and said he understood the pressure everyone is under.

“People don’t want to wait, they want the instant gratification with these rookies, second-year players to be superstars,” LaFleur offered. “You get why. This is a highly competitive environment.”

LaFleur said that he’s not concerned about his job security. The Jets' offense was marginally better than last season, his first with the team. But they’ve scored four touchdowns during a five-game losing streak that knocked them out of a playoff spot in the AFC.

And on top of that, there are questions about Wilson’s development and if LaFleur is capable of bringing out the best in the former BYU star.