Zach Wilson finds comfort in Year 3 with Jets and his first as a backup behind Aaron Rodgers
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson talks with Aaron Rodgers, right, during the first half of a preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 19, 2023. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig
Zach Wilson is living a stress-free football life. The pressure is off the young quarterback, and his love of football is back.
It was the opposite last year. Wilson struggled with everything it took to be the Jets’ franchise quarterback. He knew he needed to change, and it helped that things changed around him.
Aaron Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett have played big roles in Wilson’s transformation.
They’ve helped him approach things and the way he reacts to bad plays differently. They’ve also made sure he knows the why of everything they’re doing.
“[It’s] just having an understanding and being grateful that I get to play football for a living,” said Wilson, 24. “It doesn’t need to be so stressful. It doesn’t need to be putting so much stress on your shoulders every single day to try and be perfect. Every opportunity is a good learning experience and failing is an opportunity for you to try and get better.
“It’s just cherishing the locker room, these guys that we have. I think Aaron’s done a good job showing all of us that. He makes it extremely fun. Hack makes it extremely fun. It makes you realize there’s so much more to the game than being stressed every day.”
Wilson said he’s enjoying every day. This is a 180-degree turn.
The Jets drafted him second overall in 2021 and anointed him their franchise quarterback, and he proved he wasn’t ready. He’s backing up Rodgers now and getting a chance to reset and learn how to be an NFL quarterback from one of the greatest to do it.
“Sometimes when eyes are off of you, it gives you a really good opportunity to learn,” Wilson said. “I definitely think that’s helping because I’m able to sit there and learn from Aaron.”
The Jets erred by not having more experienced people around Wilson as a rookie. They had a first-time coordinator in Mike LaFleur and a first-time quarterbacks coach in Rob Calabrese. They hired Greg Knapp as the passing game specialist, but he died after a bike accident that summer. They opened camp with Mike White and James Morgan as the backup quarterbacks, and they had no NFL snaps combined.
The room Wilson is in now features Hackett, passing game specialist Todd Downing (a former offensive coordinator), Calabrese, Rodgers and veteran backup Tim Boyle.
Wilson said he feels more “comfortable” because he understands the objective of each play and why things are done a certain way. He couldn’t say that last year.
“I wanted to feel like I was,” he said. “I [didn’t] feel as comfortable and confident as I do right now, for whatever reason. I would like to say I tried to be. I’d like to say I knew what was going on. Obviously, things didn’t work out that way.
“For whatever reason, I feel like there’s a better understanding of what’s going on now.”
Rodgers hopes he’s setting up Wilson to be his successor in “a few years.” Rodgers noted that Wilson’s “maturity” is one of the bigger changes he’s seen over the last few months.
Wilson has been efficient and hasn’t turned the ball over in three preseason starts, but he still has things to clean up.
In Saturday’s loss to Tampa Bay, Wilson was 9-for-13 for 70 yards and led two field-goal drives. His best plays were a 16-yard completion to Allen Lazard and a 35-yard run after spinning away from the rush, juking two defenders and bursting down the sideline.
Robert Saleh wished Wilson had run out of bounds rather than risking injury, but overall he was pleased with the performance.
“I thought he did a nice job,” Saleh said. “He extended some. He was really good in the pocket, good presence. Threw a couple of good balls. I thought he was fine.”
Wilson will return to being the backup with Rodgers starting Saturday’s preseason finale against the Giants. Studying Rodgers’ every move and working after practice will be how Wilson continues his development.
“Standing behind Aaron, seeing each rep that he takes, there’s a lot of good learning,” he said. “I really need to be paying attention to each and every rep he has, ask questions and understand why he’s doing certain things.”
No pressure.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
