Zach Wilson’s chance of resurrecting his career in New York will depend on how humble he can be and how hard he works behind Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, those who know him best claim.
The Jets never had the luxury of placing Rodgers alongside Wilson when they selected him from BYU and made him a starter after his junior season in college.
Two years ago, my colleague Doug Robinson begged the Jets not to take Wilson. He received a lot of criticism from Jets fans for writing this. But he foresaw a big problem.
It would be like sticking a sturdy tree trunk in a wood chipper and expecting a Christmas tree to pop out.
Something similar happened to Wilson. Much was his fault. Some would say it’s all his fault, that he’s a flop. Is that really fair?
For those who just want to get rid of Zach Wilson, consider this:
If your child broke their new expensive toy, you would first try to fix it before throwing it away
We gotta try to fix Zach or let Aaron Rodgers try before we throw him out
Let the mentoring begin 🫡🤞🏻#jets pic.twitter.com/C4asCPLYA8
— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) May 6, 2023
Part of Wilson’s troubles could stem from injuries to his teammates and himself, having missed his early games as an NFL rookie and as a franchise trying to create a major turning point. At times, Wilson ran for his life, lost his rhythm, and made a lot of bad decisions and bad throws. He wasn’t very good. But he, too, has had his moments in the last two seasons. Then came the death of quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp on the eve of Jets camp in 2021, ahead of Wilson’s rookie year.
Wilson is very talented. He has an elite arm. He is an experienced athlete and knows how to work hard. What he didn’t get early in his NFL career was an adjustment period that many other successful quarterbacks enjoyed early in their careers.
Right now, before the Rodgers experiment, he’s just another Jets QB who’s struggled. The list is long and a testament to franchise attempts. Victims include Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, Sam Darnold, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown, Luke Falk, Trevor Siemian, Mike White and Joe Flacco.
What do they all have in common? Unfulfilled experiences in the New York Jets uniform.
Today, Wilson and Rodgers are determined to create a winning QB for the Jets. A veteran, Rodgers is dedicated and confident; Humble and expectant, Wilson is motivated to prove himself.
That should provide hungry Jets fans with energy.
Celebrate Rodgers time
Quarterback guru John Beck, who tutored Wilson while he was in college at BYU and even joined the Jets team in 2022, stated that this is the time for Jets fans to rally and celebrate that Rodgers is the team leads. Period. That’s what all the hype should be about.
In a speech on The Rich Eisen Show after the Rodgers takeover, Beck said he couldn’t say anything that would take away the bitter taste they have in their mouths about Wilson, and how many believe him to be toast.
“If Zach sat in that chair, he would and should say the same thing, ‘It didn’t work out the way I wanted it to.’
“Zach is extremely talented. He’s very passionate. Those things will never change about the child. I love the way he works. And I believe in this guy very much. I think good things are coming for him,” he continued. “And like any quarterback who’s been through tough things, there’s a better version of you on the other side.
“Now it will demand a lot from the organization, for example they still have to have trust. You still have to be patient. I think this Aaron Rodgers situation can be great for Zach because what would have helped him in year one, he could get in year three.”
Beck speaks from experience. Situations matter. It matters what you are called to do. Selected by Miami in the second round, Beck’s coaching staff disbanded after a year. Similar situations occurred at Beck in Washington.
“I feel like part of my job here is to help him regain his confidence. The team believes in him… They really believe in him. They think he can be special – and so do I… I love him, I really do.”
– Aaron Rodgers on Zach Wilson #jets pic.twitter.com/HOhppgClGM
— Aaron Bagley (@aaronbag1ey) April 27, 2023
“It would have been great if they took Zach and had a veteran there,” Beck said. “Even in the first part of the season, in training camp, but when Zach got there he was ‘the guy’ and it didn’t work. It didn’t work out like Zach hoped, and it didn’t work out like the Jets hoped.”
Beck believes in Wilson
Beck, who works for 3DQB in Huntington Beach, Calif., invited Drew Brees to Southern California earlier this year to speak with NFL draft prospects. The star QB explained how he was benched twice before San Diego signed Philip Rivers. Beck’s message was clear: things aren’t always without challenges. Brees then rose through the ranks and was called to 13 Pro Bowls before retiring as a superstar legend with New Orleans.
Washington Redskins quarterback John Beck throws at a receiver during the game against the San Francisco 49ers in Landover, Maryland November 6, 2011. The former BYU star still believes in Zach Wilson as an NFL quarterback.
Nick Wass, Associated Press
Before becoming a Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Famer, Steve Young fought as a high pick in the USFL for the Los Angeles Express and with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before fitting into role and learning from Joe Montana under Bill Walsh in San Francisco .
Dustin Smith, co-founder of QBElite along with Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer, Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and Mark Brunell worked with Wilson while he was playing at Corner Canyon High in Utah. Smith believes Rodgers and Wilson can become a beneficial union in New York.
“I think Zach got five years of NFL experience in two years in the first two years, and I think he’s gone through pretty much every type of emotion you can possibly think of in those two years,” he said Smith earlier this week.
“Zach was succeeding and he had the errors on the field and then he had some testing in a media room. I can’t imagine that he hasn’t grown up and matured significantly in the first two years.
“I think having someone like Aaron Rodgers there will be a huge advantage for Zach. Hopefully they both come to camp with Aaron believing this is a chance for him to pass on some experience and knowledge to a hungry aspiring boy who wants to be great and has been through a lot, and sort of leave a legacy behind with Zach.
“And if Rodgers does that and Zach takes the good and the bad from Aaron Rodgers, then I think this is an invaluable opportunity for Zach to continue his maturity in the NFL and get to where I think he’s capable, which is to become a successful starting quarterback.”
Wilson’s first two years are similar to former Wyoming and current Buffalo QB Josh Allen’s first two seasons. Wilson completed 55.2% of his passes for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He has a success rating of 70.9. After his sophomore year in the NFL, Allen had completed 55.8% of his passes for 5,163 yards with 30 touchdowns and 21 interceptions with a 76.5 rating.
Many Hall of Famers weren’t pushed into the starting role since Wilson was his rookie season. These include Bart Starr, Brett Favre, Joe Montana, Roger Staubach, Rodgers, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
Many stars started slowly
Besides Allen and Young, there are many famous quarterbacks who struggled early in their careers, including Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, Dan Marino, Ben Roethlisberger, Dan Fouts, and Matthew Stafford.
Take Manning. As a rookie, he started in all 16 games and won only three of them. He threw 26 touchdown passes against 28 interceptions. He averaged just 6.5 yards per attempt. He had a paltry passer rating of 71.2.
fouts? As a rookie, he was winless in six starts and completed just 44.8% of his passes. After three seasons, he had 16 TD passes and 36 interceptions. It wasn’t until its sixth season that it really started to shine.
Former Green Bay, Dallas, Los Angeles and BYU linebacker Brady Poppinga, who works as a sideline reporter for Fox Deportes, was at an airport listening to quips between Rodgers and 16-year NFL veteran Alex Smith about the draft and speculated who would be accepted first, second, and so on. Finally Poppinga spoke up. “It doesn’t matter where they take you. What matters is where you go.”
Older than Rodgers and Smith, Poppinga believed he had a legitimate perspective. Speaking to ESPN 960 Radio in Provo, he said: “Just look at the different paths of Rodgers and Smith. There’s absolutely a connection as to why Aaron ended up on vacation and Alex Smith didn’t. I mean, I think in his (Smith’s) first four or five years, he had four, five, six different offensive coordinators.”
Poppinga, who is closer to home, said Beck has an elite arm, not like Rodgers or Brett Favre but certainly better than Manning or Brady, in the same category as Tony Romo or Roethlisberger. “Nobody works harder than Beck,” he said. “But when Miami got him in the second round, it was 1:15 and all the staff were gone. He was then thrown into the scrap heap before heading to Washington, where he had to fight his way up. It was a bit like the Alex Smith thing.” Smith was once No. 1.
“It’s absolutely important where you land.”
Poppinga said that when Minnesota picked BYU quarterback Jaren Hall, once Wilson’s backup, in the fifth round last month, Hall was in a far better position than Wilson was when the Jets picked him No. 2 in 2021.
“For starters, Hall is in a much better position than Wilson. It’s a great position for Hall given that Kirk Cousins is at a point in his career and the Vikings are looking for a replacement. They’re tired of paying cousins $30 or $40 million a year, but at the same time, they’re not willing to cut ties with him.” Hall has a chance to learn and adapt to the league.
Wilson’s Backup With Better NFL Chances?
Poppinga said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, who was drafted by New England before playing as a replacement for the Jets, will give Hall every chance to succeed. In other words, he doesn’t get thrown through a wood chipper in front of the gate.
“They’re going to set up a system around Hall. The scheme they will play in Minnesota is principle-wise exactly the scheme Aaron Roderick (BYU offensive coordinator) uses at BYU in terms of an out-of-zone blocking running scheme as a baseline that works as a complement to the passing game And there will be people all around him who are used to running it, so I think Hall’s landed in the perfect place.”
BYU quarterback Jaren Hall warms up before taking on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, October 8, 2022 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Hall was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Praising O’Connell for his wisdom and acumen as a QB instructor, Poppinga shared a Jets anecdote that O’Connell told directly to reinforce his point.
Poppinga said former Jets coach Rex Ryan pulled O’Connell off the Patriots practice team ahead of the playoffs for one reason — to find a way to beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. O’Connell recited a story O’Connell told at a radio boot camp and said Ryan called him to come straight to his office.
O’Connell wasn’t even taken on a tour of the facility, shown where the snacks were, or introduced to the staff. He went straight to Ryan’s office, where a video screen, remote control, and pointer were set up. Ryan wanted to know how to beat Brady.
O’Connell showed Ryan the poison pill for a Patriots protection program and how to counter it, what to show and what to adapt. It worked as the Jets stunned the Pats in the AFC playoffs.
“Kevin gained a reputation from that point on, and while he got into broadcast he felt the urge to get back into coaching because of his innate ability to break through defences. He’s really good with quarterbacks. He’s new age,” added Poppinga.
When New York drafted Wilson, Robert Saleh was just hired as head coach. QBs coach Knapp tragically died in a bike accident before he could work with Wilson, and Saleh brought in offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during the same break in the season that they drafted Wilson. LaFleur left the Jets last January and Rodgers and Wilson will now work alongside his replacement, Nate Hackett.
How Do You Spell Turnstile?
Jets are busy
Meanwhile, New York has yet to name a starting player to have Rodgers’ back. No one wants a Hall of Famer to be subjected to a wood chipper in 2023, but…
Beck says he doesn’t apologize for Wilson and Wilson doesn’t blame the Jets for his mistakes. Wilson makes it clear that he needs help and work, and Beck says that Wilson will always make an effort to get better. “It’s what Zach does best.”
Beck believes good things are in store for Wilson because the people in the organization have faith in him. Beck praises Saleh and likes him. “I have a lot of friends in the Jets,” Beck said. “There are people in the Jets organization who want Wilson to be successful.
Beck said that what Wilson is going through should be viewed positively so that it can be productive for him.
“I like the challenge that Zach has to face in his life to achieve this. You know, we talked about Steve Young and the things he’s been through. If you talk to Steve, he’ll talk about how those things have made him stronger.”
Many long-suffering Jets fans could be done with Wilson. Others see it differently because they know what Wilson is capable of. That respite behind Rodgers is what Wilson needed in 2020. Rodgers is all in.
The two forged a relationship over the last two seasons, when Rodgers played for the Packers and Wilson tried to figure out how to hold the reins as the NFL’s starting QB.
“He’s been hitting on me off and on during the season for the past few years,” Rodgers told reporters after his takeover by the Jets. “Obviously we’ve been spending time together. I love him, really.”
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) chat during a joint NFL football training camp Wednesday, August 18, 2021, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The two QBs are now teammates with the Jets New York.
Matt Ludtke, Associated Press