Shannon Sharpe Says Jets Fans Owe Zach Wilson An Apology

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Shannon Sharpe demands justice for Zach Wilson.

Drafted at No. 2 overall by the Jets in 2021, Wilson simply floundered in the NFL — posting a 13-21 record during his three seasons in New York. He was demoted to the QB2 role in 2023 when the Jets picked up future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. But after Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear in Week 1, the Jets had no choice but to turn to Wilson again.

Gang Green finished third in the AFC East last season with an overall record of 7-10 (5-7 with Wilson under center). And everyone was quick to throw the blame on the young quarterback.

If only Rodgers were healthy, things would be different.

Zach Wilson took over after Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear just four plays into the 2023 season.

(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

But, as it turns out, that wasn't true. In 2024, Rodgers is healthy, and the Jets are even more terrible than they were before. At 3-10 headed into their Week 15 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jets are officially eliminated from playoff contention (for the 14th year in a row).

RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Continues To Shirk Responsibility For His Role In The Jets' Dysfunction

So, as Sharpe pointed out on his Nightcap podcast this week, maybe Wilson shouldn't take all the blame for the team's failures.

"I don’t know what [Aaron Rodgers] was thinking when he went there; they don’t care about that resume. They don’t, they really don’t," Sharpe began. "All I know is that New York fans, y’all owe Zach Wilson an apology. Zach Wilson was 5-7 last year; Aaron Rodgers [is] 3-10. New York, you owe that man an apology. Y’all need to put y’all money together and take out an ad in The Post, Page Six, The New York Times, The Daily News — I don’t care…

"Whoever flew that plane over [MetLife Stadium] for the Giants, y’all need to fly one over for the Jets and say, ‘We want to apologize to you personally, Zach Wilson because it wasn’t you.'"

And while no one is arguing that Wilson is a viable QB1 in the NFL, Sharpe isn't wrong here. That said, hopefully, his own apology letter is already in the mail. 

Because I seem to remember a certain Hall of Fame tight end who, last fall, argued that Wilson "couldn't play dead in a horror movie" and compared him to "a blind dog in a meat house."

I guess hindsight is 20/20 for all of us.