Jets hope Hall of Fame Game is start of new beginning for Zach Wilson
CANTON —The last time Zach Wilson played in a football game, he was booed by thousands of Jets fans.
The Jets hope Thursday’s Hall of Fame preseason game against the Browns will be the start of a new beginning for Wilson.
With Aaron Rodgers inactive and calling plays from the sideline, Wilson will start his first game since last December.
“No expectations from him,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said. “Just go out there, just play, do what he’s been doing in practice, just show that confidence, the timing, and rhythm.
“He’s been performing really well in practice, and just take it to the field and do the best you can. No expectations with the stats or anything like that, but excited about the direction he’s going and just excited for him to get back on the field again.”
Wilson has had a steep fall from grace in the last 12 months. He has gone from being the Jets starter emphatically to being benched twice last season. The low point for Wilson was during the Jets’ 19-3 loss to the Jaguars when he threw for 92 yards and an interception. His night ended while hearing boos from Jets’ fans at MetLife Stadium. Wilson was benched for Chris Streveler and he didn’t start in the Jets final two games of the 2022 season.
In nine games last season, Wilson passed for 1,668 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions. He ranked among the worst in passer rating. That was a significant reason why the Jets decided to trade for Aaron Rodgers during the offseason.
The Jets hope Wilson can learn from just sitting and watching the former four-time NFL MVP.
“I think he’s done a great job at now siphoning it down to become Zach Wilson,” Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “Understanding the different fundamentals and the different things that we teach, and it was really taught all the way back in the day when Aaron first started with Coach [Mike] McCarthy, so there’s this background of this old school teaching of quarterbacks, so it’s been a lot for him, but I think that he has really dove straight in.
“I mean, today he made a great check, which I don’t know if he would have done that in the past, so I think that’s one of those things that is such a huge deal. ‘Hey, you were able to get up there, check, protect yourself, do all these things. And let’s go finish it,’ so I just think his understanding the fundamentals, the beauty of some of these basic plays, has been something that is slowly working to get to the right place, and the good thing is he’s got time to learn from one of the great ones, so it’s been fun working with him.”
This year has been about Wilson getting back to basis. Rodgers and Hackett haven’t only helped Wilson learn a brand new offense but have worked on the 24-year-old’s mechanics.
That has led to a new instilled confidence on the field. Wilson has thrown the ball during training camp with excellent velocity but also with some nice touch as well.
Time will tell if Wilson can revitalize his career in the NFL. Rodgers is expected to play at least two seasons with the Jets. If Wilson can continue to grow in Gang Green’s offense, it’s possible he can still be the future of the franchise.
“His play on the field, the frustration, some of the stuff that he said, and the stuff that was said about him, which is probably the most difficult by his teammates and by some of you all, and now he’s got a chance to kind of reset that whole thing,” Rodgers said. “Take back the narrative.
“I think he’s done a great job, he’s played really, really well in camp. You guys have watched him, he’s made a number of great throws. He looks confident. His fundamentals, I think, are improving.
“He’s thrown the ball on time because he’s got all the other intangibles. He can run, he can move, he can throw on the move, he could throw no-look passes, just to be a good reset for him and I think he’ll look back years from now and be really thankful for this time to grow, to reset, to take a breath and that’s going to set him up for a nice long career in the league.”
