Zach Wilson’s Jets future is very much in doubt. The struggling young quarterback had a great opportunity Thursday night against the Jaguars to prove he can be the franchise’s long-term starter. A dominant performance and victory would’ve put the warranted Wilson criticism to bed, at least for the time being.
Instead, Wilson was awful in the horrendous East Rutherford conditions. He completed just nine of 18 passes for 92 yards, one interception, and a 41.9 rating in a 19-3 loss. With the game still in the balance at 16-3 early in the fourth quarter, the Jets benched Wilson for backup quarterback Chris Streveler.
Wilson’s season as the Jets’ starter might be done following this debacle. But former Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is taking it a step further.
“I just think unfortunately his career here is done, because he has lost the locker room,” the TNF on Prime analyst said following the Jets loss. “He’s lost the guys. They have no confidence in him. He doesn’t inspire confidence in them. They don’t believe in the kid. And he hasn’t really done anything for them to believe in him. Just by the way that he plays, his passion for the game, and that’s what really bugs me and what bugged me about today. So I’m not saying that he’s not gonna have a good career, but it’s gonna have to be somewhere else.”
Wilson still has a chance to make something of himself in the NFL. After all, it’s only year two.
But if you’re the Jets, how can you possibly keep trotting this kid out there? He’s shown he’s not a fit in Mike LaFleur’s offense and the game still seems a million miles per hour in his eyes.
And most importantly, he’s holding the team back.
The Jets finally have a good roster, with an awesome defense and promising young offensive weapons. They have what seems to be the right coaching staff in place, with a possible replacement at offensive coordinator in order. They have a competent and intelligent general manager who’s overseen the entire rebuild.
The organization, as a whole, has so much going for it, but the quarterback position is what’s preventing the team from reaching its full potential. The Jets need to make a permanent switch and accept they got the drafting of Wilson dead wrong. Because he’s proven time and time again he’s the main issue.
