During offseason practices, Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson has ceded most of the repetitions to Jarrett Stidham and rookie first-rounder Bo Nix. Wilson had a total of three practices with the first-team offense this spring compared to five for Stidham and four for Nix. There will officially be an open QB competition between Wilson, Stidham and Nix this summer at training camp, but it would be a pretty big surprise if Wilson came out the winner heading into the Week 1 regular season opener this fall. The 24-year-old former first-rounder fizzled out in impressive fashion with the New York Jets, and the Broncos predictably declined his fifth-year option after trading for him this offseason. Wilson has a strong arm but showed questionable decision-making in his time with the Jets. He's off the fantasy radar, even in dynasty/keeper leagues.
Broncos Not Picking Up Zach Wilson's Fifth-Year Option
The Denver Broncos have informed quarterback Zach Wilson and his representatives that they won't pick up his fifth-year option, according to sources. The Broncos acquired the New York Jets' former second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft early last week and then selected QB Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in this year's draft. Wilson's option would have been for a guaranteed $22.408 million in 2025. The Jets will pay a significant portion of Wilson's $1.055 million base salary in 2024, and he's now headed for free agency next spring. Wilson, Nix and Jarrett Stidham, who started the final two games in 2023 when the team benched Russell Wilson, will compete for the starting job in Denver in training camp this summer. It's a fresh start for Wilson, but he has not looked like a starter in his first three years in the league with a 57% completion rate, 25 interceptions and 23 touchdowns.
The Denver Broncos are acquiring former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson from the New York Jets on Monday, according to sources. The Broncos are expected to send a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Jets for Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round selection, with the teams dividing his guaranteed camp roster bonus. The Broncos released Russell Wilson this offseason and were heading into this week's NFL draft with Jarrett Stidham as their starter under center in 2024. Wilson now has a much better shot at playing time with a change of scenery in 2024 after being benched in his final season with the Jets, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll beat out Stidham in training camp. The move to acquire Wilson also won't preclude the Broncos from selecting a QB in this year's draft, possibly as early as the first round.
The New York Jets are prepared to move on from quarterback Zach Wilson, the former second overall pick in 2021, if an interested team makes a worthwhile offer, but they aren't in a hurry to do so. "At that same time, we're obviously open to trading Zach. There have been discussions. Nothing's really changed since we talked in Florida. We're open to trading him, there's just no news to report on that," general manager Joe Douglas said. Unsurprisingly, Wilson has chosen to stay away from the team's voluntary offseason workouts. Wilson was thrown into the fire immediately after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 last year, and he failed to improve behind a leaky offensive line. If no teams offer the Jets what they want for the 24-year-old Wilson, there's a chance he could stay in New York and sit behind Rodgers and veteran backup Tyrod Taylor.
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has not reported to voluntary workouts this offseason, according to general manager Joe Douglas. The team has reportedly been trying to trade the former No. 2 overall pick, but trade talks have been at a standstill. With Tyrod Taylor backing up Aaron Rodgers this season, the Wilson project is likely over in New York. The 24-year-old has completed 57% of his passes for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions through his first 34 NFL games. A change of scenery would likely be a positive thing for the young signal-caller and the organization, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
There's a chance that quarterback Zach Wilson could end up staying with the New York Jets in 2024. "If we don't trade him, we're going to keep him," owner Woody Johnson said. The Jets gave Wilson and his representatives permission to seek a trade last month, but with the rest of the league already making moves to acquire other QBs ahead of next month's NFL draft, the demand for Wilson has been non-existent this offseason. If the Jets do end up trading Wilson, they'll basically be giving him away. The former No. 2 overall pick in 2021 out of BYU has fallen flat in his three NFL seasons and was benched in 2023 after throwing for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns and seen picks in 12 games (11 starts) after Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) got hurt. The Jets already signed veteran Tyrod Taylor to serve as Rodgers' backup in 2024.
With both quarterbacks Mac Jones and Justin Fields being traded this offseason for essentially pennies on the dollar, the New York Jets' prospects of trading former first-rounder Zach Wilson are looking bleak. Both Jones and Fields have shown more promise in their careers than Wilson at this point. The 24-year-old has thrown 25 interceptions and 23 touchdowns while completing only 57% of his passes in three seasons. He's also had off-the-field incidents that don't portray him favorably as a teammate. The Jets have been ready to move on from Wilson for a while, but now it looks unlikely that they can fetch a Day 3 pick for him. There have been no reports of interest around the league in Wilson since the Jets allowed his agent to seek a trade, although the Ravens, Broncos and Chiefs could look to upgrade their current backup options.
The New York Jets have given quarterback Zach Wilson's agent permission to seek a trade, according to general manager Joe Douglas. The Jets are fully expected to trade Wilson this offseason after he struggled yet again in 2023 while being forced into starting duties when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles early in the first quarter in Week 1. The 24-year-old Wilson was benched eventually and ended the year on Injured Reserve due to a concussion. The former second overall pick has been a massive bust in the NFL and is unlikely to be competing for a starting job with whichever team he lands with via trade. Rodgers will return in 2024 as New York's starting signal-caller, but the Jets are searching for a veteran backup that will be an improvement over Wilson.
Zach Wilson Could Fetch Late-Round Pick In A Trade
The New York Jets are expected to trade quarterback Zach Wilson in the coming weeks as they look to upgrade the backup quarterback position behind Aaron Rodgers. There's a "high probability" of that happening, general manager Joe Douglas recently said. The consensus among three personnel executives, one scout and two assistant coaches from other teams is that Wilson could bring back a sixth- or seventh-round pick from a team willing to take a chance on him as a backup due to his first-round draft pedigree. The Jets could also seek a 2025 conditional pick based on playing time, but they're also unlikely to "get the value they want" in a straight-up trade. Wilson was forced into starting duties in 2023 when Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1, but he regressed even more and was benched late in the year.
The New York Jets will attempt to trade quarterback and former No. 2 pick Zach Wilson during the upcoming offseason, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday morning. The 24-year-old stepped in for Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) back in Week 1 but underwhelmed, completing 60 percent of his passes for 2,271 yards, eight touchdowns, seven interceptions, and seven lost fumbles. He was temporarily benched during the middle of the season and also missed the Jets' final three games due to a concussion. New York won't be able to recoup the early first-round pick it spent to first acquire Wilson, but they could still secure a mid- or late-round selection given that the BYU product is young and flashed potential at times.
