The New York Jets have improved in nearly every single position. They also thought they had landed a franchise quarterback when they took Zach Wilson with the second-overall pick of the NFL Draft.
However, the former BYU Cougars star has failed to live up to the hype. He’s been erratic, to say the least, not to mention injury-prone and with little-to-no signs of improvement. Simply put, he’s held them back amid a breakout season.
Notably, Wilson saying that he hadn’t let his defense down after posting just 3 yards of offense in the second half of a loss was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He was demoted to the bench, and his teammates didn’t care for his comments or attitude.
NFL News: Zach Wilson Admits He Was Wrong
That’s why Wilson had no choice but to backpedal and apologize. He was humbled by being benchedbut claimed that he’d continue to do his job as well as try to be a better leader for his teammates:
“The way that I handled the situation wasn’t right,” Wilson told SNY. “I gotta be a better football player and then I gotta be a better leader for these guys. I have an opportunity to turn a page here as a player and as a leader.”
“It’s tough, man [to be benched],” Wilson said. “It’s never fun. The first thing that kinda went to my mind is that I gotta get to work. I gotta get better and I’m gonna approach that every single day to keep working to get better.I wouldn’t say necessarily surprised because I haven’t been doing my job. Of course, I would like to not agree with the decision but it comes down to I’ve gotta play better.”
Joe Flacco fared quite well as a fill-in starter, but he’s not the long-term answer for the Jets. And even though it’s still early to give up on Wilson, it might be time they consider other options in the offseason.