When Aaron Rodgers went down with a shocking, season-ending injury just four plays into his tenure with the New York Jets, it inadvertently opened the door for the man he replaced at quarterback, Zach Wilson.
Wilson, for now, will be the starting quarterback for the Jets, after Rodgers was lost for all of 2023 after rupturing his Achilles tendon during the team’s season opener against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 11.
The irony is not lost on NFL fans. The Jets traded for Rodgers to take over for Wilson, who has struggled during his time with the Jets.
During the offseason, Rodgers, an 18-year veteran and four-time NFL MVP with a Super Bowl ring, was traded from the Packers, the only team he had played for in his professional career. It was a move that many fans and pundits felt made the Jets Super Bowl contenders, giving hope to a franchise that has not won a championship since Super Bowl III in 1969.
For now, though, the Jets will plow ahead with Wilson under center. Here’s what you need to know about the signal-caller.
How old is Zach Wilson and where is he from?
Wilson is 24 and hails from Draper, Utah, where he attended Corner Canyon High School.
Where did Zach Wilson go to college?
Wilson played football at Brigham Young University, starting 28 games at quarterback as a three-year starter for the Cougars. He threw 56 touchdowns in his career, ran for another 15 and enjoyed a stellar 2020 campaign in which he completed 73.5 percent of his passes, shattering the school record previously held by Pro Football Hall of Famer and College Football Hall of Famer Steve Young.
Wilson wrapped up his 2020 season by finishing eighth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, awarded annually to college football’s best player. He was also named offensive MVP of RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, leading BYU to a 49-23 win over the University of Central Florida by throwing for a career-high 425 yards and three touchdowns.
That capped off an 11-1 season for the Cougars, who finished the year ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll.
How did Zach Wilson end up on the Jets?
Wilson’s stock soared before the 2021 NFL Draft and the Jets selected him in the first round with the second overall pick, behind only Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wilson was the second of five quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the draft that year. No BYU player has ever been selected as high in the draft as Wilson.
He was thrilled at the prospect of leading a franchise that has been snake-bitten for decades.
“You never truly know until it happens on draft day, but this is what I was hoping for, this is what me and my family were praying for, is to be in this situation and go play for the Jets,” he said after he was drafted.
“When you can be a key piece that actually flips an organization around, I think that’s so special,” he added.
How has Wilson done with the Jets?
Wilson has started 22 games for the Jets in his career, but if the team felt the need to trade for Rodgers, you might assume that Wilson’s time with the franchise hasn’t gone so well. You’d be right.
Wilson was the starting quarterback in the team’s season opener of his rookie year in 2021, dropping a 19-14 game to the Carolina Panthers. He completed 20 of 37 pass attempts for 258 yards and two touchdowns, as well as one interception. The Jets stumbled to a 4-13 record his rookie season, while he tried to find his footing, finishing with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also missed a few games due to a knee injury.
Injuries stalled the beginning of his 2022 season and he didn't appear in a game until he started for the Jets in their fourth game. Turnovers were another recurring theme, as Jets finished 7-10 and Wilson was demoted to third-string quarterback, failing to appear in five of the team’s last seven games. His numbers took a dip, as he tossed six touchdowns and seven interceptions.
After coming on in relief of Rodgers against the Bills, Wilson completed 14 of 21 passes for 140 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
Will Zach Wilson remain the Jets quarterback for the remainder of the season?
It appears so — at least at the moment.
“I want to make it very clear — Zach is our quarterback,” Jets head coach Saleh said to the media after the game against the Bills in which Rodgers got hurt. “We have a lot of faith in Zach, and we are really excited about this opportunity. We are rolling with Zach, and we are excited for him and this opportunity he is going to get.”
“The message I was trying to deliver is that we are going to look at everything. You are going to look at veterans, you are going to look at young guys,” he added. “But under no circumstance is any of this a competition. This is Zach’s team, and we are rolling with Zach.”