Zach Wilson jets
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While his pro football career hasn’t started the way he hoped, Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is essentially set for life thanks to his athletic ability. But if things don’t work out on the gridiron? The man already has a backup plan in place.

Wilson was selected second overall by Gang Green in the 2021 NFL Draft. He then signed a four-year, $35-plus million deal that was fully guaranteed, including a $22 million signing bonus. So, yea — as long as he manages his money appropriately, he doesn’t have to “work” another day in his life.

He’s going to try and eventually become a starting NFL quarterback again. There’s a lot of work to be done, though. The Jets have officially said he’ll be the QB2 heading into 2023 (so there’s no need to freak out about Tim Boyle getting signed). We’re all still waiting for the Aaron Rodgers trade to finally become official. But all signs are pointing to Wilson’s childhood role model joining him in the Green and White.

That will serve as the type of mentorship Wilson should’ve gotten to begin his career instead of getting thrown right into the fire. Head coach Robert Saleh has been a fierce supporter of Wilson’s potential as an NFL quarterback. New York has also said the commitment is there to develop him into the kind of signal-caller they think he’s capable of being.

But what if it doesn’t work out? What will he do then? Nobody wants to just sit back knowing they’re just the latest top NFL Draft bust, right? Right. That’s why Wilson and his family want to build an empire of cookie shops.

Well, maybe not an entire empire, but they announced plans to open the first Crumbl cookie shop in New York City in October 2022. And apparently, business is good. Considering the name of the shop Wilson and his family own, there are just so…many…jokes to be told that can relate back to his play on the football field. But we won’t go there today.

The verdict is still officially out on the kind of football player Zach Wilson will be. He’ll try to re-set his trajectory in 2023 under Rodgers’ wing. But if all else fails, at least we know what his first non-football career move will be. It’ll probably include getting more involved in the family business.

You can reach Matt Musico at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.

Matt Musico is an editor for ESNY. He’s been writing about baseball and the Mets for the past decade. His work has been featured on numberFire, MetsMerized Online, Bleacher Report, and Yahoo! Sports.