Jets' Garrett Wilson unhappy with how season's played out

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — When Garrett Wilson walked over to speak to the media in the middle of the Jets’ locker room after practice Friday, the receiver from Ohio State was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with a big yellowish M on the front — M as in Michigan.

He had lost a friendly bet with an in-house reporter who graduated from Michigan, which beat the Buckeyes last Saturday.

“It hurts, man,” Wilson said about the sweatshirt. “I can’t lie. I’ve never had these colors on before. They probably don’t look good.”

It has been that kind of frustrating season for Wilson. The 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is playing on a spiraling team again and is stuck in a dysfunctional offense that could have functioned a lot better if Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tendon hadn’t snapped four snaps into the schedule.

The Jets’ hope of breaking their streak of 12 seasons with no postseason is in a fade pattern. They’re 4-7 with six games left, starting with the Falcons (5-6) on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

“It feels like we have to win out,” said Wilson, who

was used to winning before he arrived here. The former first-round pick sounded beyond frustrated after the 34-13 loss to Miami on Black Friday. It marked the Jets’ fourth straight loss and the third by at least 21 points.

“I’m still not over it,” Wilson said. “I ain’t going to fake. I hate losing.”

Rodgers was supposed to cure that. He was slinging some passes Friday during his second limited practice after the Jets opened a 21-day window Wednesday for him to possibly return. But he said Thursday that he didn’t think a comeback “would make a ton of sense” if the Jets aren’t in contention.

With Rodgers returning to the team after rehabbing in California, Wilson said it has “been cool having a great offensive mind around the offense.” The prospect of the quarterback playing if the Jets still have a chance could be a motivator.

“That’s a reality in the back of our head maybe,” Wilson said. “But my motivation comes from wanting to be the best version of me.”

And besides a quarterback playing better — Tim Boyle is ready to start his second game after the benching of Zach Wilson — and the line blocking better, the best version of Garrett Wilson could be revealed by having another reliable option step forward in the passing game.

“We’ve got guys here that we think are capable of it,” coach Robert Saleh said. “ . . . But it is critical to find a No. 2 option to relieve him of some pressure.”

Wilson has 64 receptions for 695 yards — 10.9 per catch — and three scores, with two lost fumbles in the last four games. He has been playing through an elbow issue.

“It will be evaluated after the season is over,” Wilson said.

The Jets have scored 13 or fewer points seven times, including the last five games. They have scored only six points twice in the four-game skid, and Wilson admitted that the offensive unit has been discouraged.

“Most definitely,” he said. “ . . . We’ve put everything in this and we haven’t got what we wanted to out of it. It’s been tough. But we’ve got to keep rolling. That’s why we’re paid to do what we do.”

Notes & quotes: Running backs Breece Hall (hamstring), Dalvin Cook (shoulder) and Israel Abanikanda (illness) are questionable. Saleh said Cook “should be fine.” . . . Tackle Mekhi Becton (ankle/knee) will return after missing one game . . . Lindenhurst’s Jeremy Ruckert, the tight end out of Ohio State, lost the bet along with Wilson and also wore a Michigan sweatshirt.