The Jets say Zach Wilson is their guy after Aaron Rodgers’ devastating injury.
Mike Francesa thinks that would be a colossal mistake. The WFAN legend believes Gang Green cannot thrive with Wilson at quarterback if Rodgers is out for the season with an Achilles injury as expected. And that they need to make a move for a passer after their offense “just went from Picasso to paint by numbers again.”
“I don’t want to be offensive to Zach Wilson, but he’s not ready to take them to the playoffs,” Francesa said on his BetRivers podcast.
“This team is ready to go to the playoffs. But they need a better quarterback to do it. They need a guy who is going to be better than Zach Wilson to do it. I don’t think he can stand in there and make the mistakes that he makes play after play, down after down — and let’s be honest, they played so conservatively. When they had the game tied, they didn’t even attack the end zone.”
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Francesa said he was not trying to bury Wilson. And he is not denying Wilson may have improved and deserves a chance to keep developing. But he has to be honest about the situation. They are not going to get anyone close to Rodgers, but they need to get something better than Wilson.
“It is going to be very hard to win with him at quarterback,” Francesa said. “They need someone to play at a higher level. … They have to go out and get themselves an experienced quarterback. They have to. Just to share the position. Even if they want to act like Zach is the guy, to come in and bail Zach out in those games where he’s awful. And those games are going to be there. They’re going to be there.”
Francesa did not offer any names — although he did shoot down any Tom Brady talk — and conceded the Jets will not get much more than a dependable game manager. But that will be good enough because, “Zach is not that yet.”
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
