Jets give Zach Wilson permission to seek trade after his MISERABLE season in relief of injured Aaron Rodgers: Second pick of 2021 NFL Draft is owed $5 million in 2024

Zach Wilson has been given permission by the New York Jets to seek a trade, general manager Joe Douglas told reporters Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. 

The embattled quarterback is coming off a brutal season in relief of Aaron Rodgers, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on his first series with the Jets back in September.

Wilson, 24, was the second-overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, but despite his strong arm, the former BYU star has struggled with accuracy and decision making as a professional.

Things may have been at their worst in 2023 as the Jets limped to a 7-10 finish amid extensive media criticism.   

Not only did Wilson toss seven interceptions, compared to just eight touchdowns, but he finished 30th in the NFL in quarterback rating at just 30.6. For comparison, San Francisco’s Brock Purdy finished first at 72.8.

Fourth-year QB Zach Wilson has been given permission by the New York Jets to seek a trade

Wilson (right) thought he'd back up Aaron Rodgers (left) in 2023, but injuries changed that

Rodgers' season came to an end in the first quarter against the Bills when he hurt his ankle 

For Wilson, the 2023 season was supposed to be a kind of football rehab.

After struggling for his first two NFL campaigns, the Jets quarterback entered training camp second on the depth chart behind Rodgers, the prized offseason acquisition and four-time MVP.

The expectations Wilson faced as a former second-overall pick should have subsided, allowing him to study under a former Super Bowl winner before, eventually, resuming his role as Jets starter in the coming years.

Instead, Wilson's third season may have been his worst as the Draper, Utah native was briefly demoted to third on the depth chart. 

But while it's easy to blame the last three months on Rodgers' injury, Wilson's on-field troubles began long before the 39-year-old went down in the Jets' season opener.

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas announced the decision on Wednesday 

Expectations surrounding Wilson were nearly extinguished during his brutal rookie season.

After missing the first few days of training camp with a brief holdout, Wilson signed a four-year deal worth a total of $58 million and was immediately handed the reins of the offense.

But things got off to a bad start as Wilson and the Jets suffered a Week 1 loss to the Carolina Panthers and quarterback Sam Darnold, who was moved out of New York to make room for the former BYU star in 2021.

And things only got worse from there, as the team stumbled to a 1-5 start before backup Mike White led New York to an upset of the Cincinnati Bengals when Wilson went down with a knee injury.

Wilson ultimately recovered, but his season stats did not. The 22-year-old finished the season 3-10 with nine touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions. Worst of all, he was sacked 44 times that season, due in large part to his habit of holding onto the ball for too long - something that still persists. 

And it wasn't just Wilson's propensity for taking sacks, lousy decision making or his inaccurate throws. He was also accused of handling himself poorly as a rookie.

'I like Zach Wilson,' former Jets cornerback Lamar Jackson told Jets blogger David Wyatt-Hupton the following season when asked to look back on his time in New York.

'But I can see comments about how he carries himself, a sense of arrogance. I could see how it could rub people the wrong way. When he's good, he's good, and when he's bad, he's bad. When you're not the most likeable guy, of course when things are bad, everybody's going to have a problem with you.'

Zach Wilson returned to BYO recently, where he was seen taking a picture with fans 

And with White showing flashes in 2021 and 2022, rumors had it that Wilson was losing the locker room.

'I can definitely tell you the locker room, they're behind Mike White,' Jackson said. 'He's one of those guys that's very likeable. I know everybody's going to be trying to buy in and help him succeed just [because of] the type of guy he is. I know he has good respect over there.

'Guys are going to help Mike White make it happen. They kind of know the situation. There ain't no telling how they really feel about Zach.'

And things only got worse. 

Following Wilson's reported split with his long-time girlfriend in 2022, the Jets quarterback was accused by his ex of having an affair with his mother's best friend.

Details around the allegations remain hazy.

The rumors began after Wilson's ex, Abbey Gile, reportedly began dating Wilson's former college teammate and roommate, Washington Commanders receiver Dax Milne.

Accused of being a 'homie hopper' on social media, Gile instead pointed the finger at Wilson: 'He was sleeping with his mom's best friend... that's the real homie hopper.'

Wilson has since sidestepped questions about the alleged affair, and the mother's friend has never been identified, publicly.

Jets star Garrett Wilson told The Athletic: 'Whatever happened this season can't happen again'

Things briefly looked up in 2022. 

Whereas Wilson was poised to struggle on mediocre team in 2021, the additions of wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall in the 2022 NFL Draft appeared to bolster his chances in his second season.

Already equipped with one of the league's top defenses, the Jets should should have been taking the next step as a team under head coach Robert Saleh, who was entering his second season.

And Wilson initially did his part in 2022, returning from a torn meniscus in Week 4 to lead the Jets on a four-game winning streak, albeit while throwing only one touchdown compared to two interceptions.

But, inevitably, things turned sour in Week 8, when Wilson completed only 20 of 41 passes, three of which were picked off in a loss to the rival New England Patriots.

When asked if he let the Jets' defense down after the unit played splendidly against New England, Wilson insisted that was not the case, much to the dismay of fans and sports talk radio hosts.

As the 2022 campaign dragged on, Wilson was once again benched in favor of White and finished the year 5-4 with a putrid 72.8 quarterback rating – 33rd out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks that season.

That's when the Jets took a new strategy. 

Somewhat controversially, Douglas decided to hold on to Wilson after acquiring Rodgers in an off-season trade rather than getting a more experienced backup.

Despite Wilson's struggles, Douglas and Saleh believed Wilson would do well to learn under Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer known for his poise in the pocket and solid decision making.

'It's been great to see those two guys work together,' Douglas told reporters in May. 'And to see Zach be a little bit of a shadow to Aaron and pick up on some things, how he communicates to teammates, his cadence, every small thing. You see all of these guys picking up on it these last two weeks.'

Douglas even admitted that he made a mistake by tossing Wilson into the fire as rookie, saying he should have brought in a veteran to mentor the young quarterback instead.

'And so if I had to do everything over again, I would've probably had that veteran presence in the room early for Zach,' Douglas said.

Zach Wilson walks onstage after being drafted second by the New York Jets in 2021

Initially, Wilson seemed to be receptive to the idea and looked solid in the preseason, completing 66 percent of his passes without throwing any interceptions.

Rodgers didn't survive the first series of the Jets' 2023 season, going down with a ruptured Achilles after being sacked by Buffalo's Leonard Floyd.

Remarkably, Wilson came in and led the Jets to a 22-16 overtime victory against the hated Bills, while completing 14 of 21 passes.

'My job as a quarterback is I've got to step up,' Wilson said as the Jets improved to 1-0. 'I've got to be as efficient as I can in that offense.'

But Wilson has been anything but efficient since then. He also took significant criticism for a bye week trip to Utah, where he and his new girlfriend, Nicolette Dellanno, reportedly went apple picking.

WFAN host Shaun Morash took the opportunity to blast Wilson for a lack of focus.

'Zach Wilson, in what is about to be the biggest stretch of his career, decided it was a good time to take his girlfriend to Utah to apple and pumpkin pick and go to haunted houses,' he said in late October, comparing the Jets QB unfavorably to his counterparts around the league.

Zach Wilson (right) is pictured with his mother, Lisa Neeleman Wilson (left) 

Wilson his new girlfriend, Nicolette Dellanno, went apple picking in Utah during the bye week

Not everything has been Wilson's fault. The same offensive line that struggled to protect Rodgers hasn't gotten any better, due to a rash of injuries at several positions.

And Saleh, Doulas, and even Rodgers have steadfastly defended Wilson, insisting that he is making some strides, even if they aren't always visible.

'It's not all on him,' Saleh said. 'But there are things he needs to be better at.'

Internally, though, the Jets may have been less supportive of Wilson. 

Last month, The Athletic revealed deeper issues with the Jets after speaking with 30 sources. 

'It's just such a f***ing mess,' one Jets coach told The Athletic. 'Something has to change.'

The report painted the Jets as rudderless ship: Sources describe Rodgers as the de facto general manager ahead of the real GM, Douglas, while the quarterback's hand-picked offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, is accused of losing players' trust.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh took criticism for his reluctance to bench Zach Wilson 

What's more, Saleh was said to be obsessed with negative press, and although he publicly defended Wilson, he's alleged to have blamed Rodgers' backup privately for the Jets' struggles.

A defensive coordinator in San Francisco before being hired by the Jets in 2021, Saleh's concerns about the offense were primarily limited to Wilson, who reportedly bristled at being reinserted into the starting lineup at the end of the season. 

Fearful he'd be hurt behind an injury-depleted offensive line (spoiler: he suffered a concussion), Wilson's desire to remain off the field after being benched in December eventually leaked to the press, prompting Saleh to hunt for the source. 

'If you come forward now, you won't get in trouble,' Saleh reportedly told the team while threatening to take their phones.

The Jets declined to speak to The Athletic about the article, and Rodgers did not respond to requests for an interview.