New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas opened up about the team's plan to have their newly acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers mentor their former starter Zach Wilson. With Rodgers at the helm, the Jets aim to capitalize on his experience and knowledge to help develop Wilson's potential.
Zach Wilson's stint in New York has been a rocky road. Over the course of two seasons, Wilson has accounted for 4,022 yards, netting 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, all while completing only 55.2 percent of his passes in 22 games.
In the wake of securing Aaron Rodgers for the 2023 season, Zach Wilson has been reassigned to a backup role. But Joe Douglas believes that Wilson's trajectory could have been different. Douglas reflected, “It would have been great to have a veteran quarterback like Joe Flacco that first season for Wilson…If I had to do everything over again, I would have probably had that veteran presence in the room early for Zach,” per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Wilson was to receive expert counsel from veteran coach Greg Knapp. But a tragic accident took Knapp's life, leaving Wilson without this crucial mentorship. This setback, among others, resulted in Wilson's struggles spilling over into the 2022 season, culminating in him being benched for Mike White.
As Rodgers steps up to the plate for the Jets, Douglas sees a silver lining. He envisions Wilson taking this opportunity to study under “one of the best passers of all time.” Expressing confidence in Wilson's potential, Douglas asserted, “Zach has an unbelievable ceiling and…is attacking this offseason like no other. His energy level is unbelievable. It's good to see him with a huge smile on his face and really working every day to get better.”
As the second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson has shown promise as a prospect. The Jets management hopes that Rodgers' mentorship will be the missing puzzle piece that helps Wilson evolve into the star quarterback they envisioned when they drafted him.
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