The New York Jets did not expect their 2023-24 season to go this way. This was supposed to be the year the team made a serious Super Bowl run. After the offseason hype, if they did not at least make it to the Conference finals, the whole process would have been for nothing. While the team’s championship aspirations ended on the opening night of their season after Aaron Rodgers went down with an Achilles injury, it meant the team had to rely on Zach Wilson once again.
This season was meant to be a year-long apprenticeship for Zach Wilson. He was going to take a step back and learn from one of the greatest QBs to play the game. But when tragedy struck, he did step in and gave it his best.
#Jets owner Woody Johnson to reporters at the NFL Honors: “We need a backup quarterback. We didn’t have one last year.” pic.twitter.com/YUolyqJwCI
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 9, 2024
However, to the owner of the team, Woody Johnson, Wilson’s performance did not cut it. His response when asked by the reporters about the key positions that the Jets will need to fill in the offseason:
We need a backup quarterback. We didn’t have one last year. Woody Johnson said
Zach Wilson ended the year with 2,271 yards passing, 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and a QBR of 30.6. Telling it like it is, he was not good. But does he deserve to be subjected to this level of criticism? Absolutely not. The entire mindset of the Jets’ at training camp was that Aaron Rodgers is here and he will take the brunt of the workload in the QB department. It was natural that Zach Wilson would not be as prepared as the veteran QB.
Zach Wilson has one of the worst QBRs amongst starting quarterbacks in the NFL
Despite this, when it was his turn to go out there and play, he did. Not to mention, he played through concussions. Another aspect that cannot be overseen is the offensive line. The Jets’ O-line struggles persisted throughout the season, on most occasions, Wilson was forced to throw the ball away or risk being hit almost immediately after the ball was snapped to him.
Robert Saleh briefly benched Zach Wilson for Tim Boyle but that experiment failed as well and ultimately, the team had to revert to Wilson. Woody Johnson did not stop there and hinted that the upcoming season could be Robert Saleh’s last if he fails to produce results. He said at the NFL Honors ceremony:
We’ve got all this talent and we’ve got to produce this year. We have to produce this year. Woody Johnson said
The New York Jets decided to take a massive risk by leaving the possibility of Aaron Rodgers going down with an injury out of the equation. As a result, they never got around to signing an experienced vet. It is a move which they are likely to do this offseason in order to ensure they stay prepared for the worst.
