The New York Jets say they haven’t thrown in the towel on the potential of their young quarterback Zach Wilson, but the Big Apple team is ready to break the bank to acquire an experienced pivot.
That’s what Jets owner Woody Johnson said in his end-of-season review on Thursday.
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“We have to respect the salary cap, but [un quart-arrière] is the missing piece,” he admitted, according to the “New York Post.”
The campaign of the New York team ended in fishtail after an encouraging start. Losing in its last six games, it had to settle for a 7-10 record and last place in the American Conference East Division. At the same time, she was excluded from the portrait of the playoffs for a 12th year in a row.
On the heels of those failures, Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, has been left out twice. The 23-year-old finished the season with 1,688 passing yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games.
“Zach had a tough year, there’s no denying that,” Johnson said. I still believe in its potential. But his confidence level plummeted.
A failed development
Barring a huge surprise, Wilson will still be back with the Jets in 2023. The same can’t be said for offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who was fired Wednesday.
Before being shown the exit door, LaFleur felt that the Jets had sabotaged Wilson’s development by rushing his arrival in the NFL. A hypothesis corroborated by Johnson.
“I don’t think we did it the right way. It would have been better if he had been able to rely on a veteran, but which one? We didn’t have that quarter experience. But I do believe we could have done a better job of development.”
The 75-year-old still wanted to reassure New York fans: he believes his team is full of talent and he expects them to participate in the winter ball next year.
“Our supporters have seen with their own eyes what has happened this season. They deserve wins and I will make sure to give them some. I’m doing everything I can to make that happen.”
