Jets Want To Trade Zach Wilson At The End Of The Season, But That Won't Be An Easy Task

The New York Jets reportedly want to trade quarterback Zach Wilson during the offseason. But that might prove a difficult task to accomplish.

News of the trade rumors broke just hours before New York's regular-season finale. Fortunately for Wilson, this won’t mess with his focus on the game, since he’s not playing. The Jets placed the quarterback on IR on Saturday, ending his season.

Wilson faced a unique challenge during the 2023-24 campaign. After watching presumptive starter Aaron Rodgers suffer an achilles injury on just the fourth play of his Jets career, Wilson tried to will New York to the postseason.

It didn't work.

Despite solid performance in wins over Philadelphia and Houston, the rest of the season was one to forget. He barely averaged over 200 passing yards (206) over 12 games (11 starts), and missed four games. As is usually the case, New York fell short of a playoff berth in no small part because of his poor play.

Wilson Never Lived Up To The Hype Coming Out Of College

Wilson's (2) victory against the Texans on December 10 will likely be his last as a member of the Jets. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

As OutKick’s Armando Salguero has noted on multiple occasions, Wilson’s terrible performances have caused frustration in the Meadowlands. Despite being the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2021, he never quite met those lofty expectations. He’d take one step forward in which he’d play well against a tough opponent, and then revert back to his lackluster form for most of the season.

It’s not because he lacked talent at skill positions either. Guys like Breece Hall, Garret Wilson, Mercole Hardman Jr., and Tyler Conklin suited up on offense alongside him each week. Sports Illustrated ranked this group in the Top 10 skill position groups in the league during the preseason.

But Wilson just couldn’t ever get things going. Now, the Jets are hoping to move on from him.

The problem is, who would be interested?

Most NFL Teams Wouldn't Want Him

All of the teams near the top of the 2024 NFL Draft order have plenty of options at the college level to choose from if they need a quarterback. Furthermore, there aren’t many other good fits for Wilson in the league as it is.

Washington and Atlanta could be two options for him to land. Sam Howell (Commanders) certainly could be replaced, and the Falcons have their own QB problems with Desmond Ridder.

However, neither team would likely be willing to stake their hopes on Wilson. Each team boasts skill position groups that are at least equal to what New York offered Wilson. Washington has a better receiving duo in Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin, and Atlanta has a better overall skill group.

So if Wilson couldn’t succeed with what he had in the Big Apple, why should we think anything would change with a new team? 

At best, Wilson could be a backup for a team in need. But even so, New York will probably have a difficult time finding a new home for him.