Zach Wilson will start at quarterback for the New York Jets Sunday against the Houston Texans, Jets coach Robert Saleh announced Wednesday.
Wilson met with the media following the announcement and said that he’s “extremely excited to get back on the field with these guys.”
“I think any opportunity you can get in this league is a good one,” he said.
What did Zach Wilson say about starting for the Jets again?
Saleh’s announcement came three weeks after Wilson was benched for Tim Boyle, whom the team cut Tuesday, and demoted to third-string on the depth chart, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported.
“I’m going to have more fun than I’ve ever had in a professional way. At the same time of course, there’s a chip of just feeling like I need to prove something, feeling like this team needs to prove something, this offense needs to prove something,” Wilson said Wednesday.
Reporters asked Wilson how the rollercoaster of starting and being benched has affected him emotionally. He emphasized that he understands the NFL is a performance-based business.
“It’s definitely made me stronger, no doubt,” he said. “I understand the situations. As a quarterback when you’re not and the offense isn’t doing well you know like I’ve said to you guys before, I get it. I do, and it’s tough. We’re all trying to find a way. At the end of the day, it’s a business, right? We got to score. We got to win games, and you know, I understand that. And I think it was harder on me in the past and I think now I feel like I’m in a good spot mentally to just keep going and understand it’s part of the game and appreciate that.”
What did Zach Wilson say about reports of him being ‘reluctant’ to start?
The Athletic reported Monday that Wilson was “reluctant” to start for the Jets again. Wilson said during his latest meeting with reporters that there was “absolutely not” any truth to those reports.
“I love the guys in this locker room and I would do anything (for them), and I think anytime you have an opportunity to step on this field, you need to take advantage of it,” he said.
He didn’t feel like he needed to address and dispute the report to his teammates because he’s had their support “through this entire process.”
“I think guys understand where we’re at right now. I’ve had backing since day one and that’s why I love this team so much,” he said. “They understand the struggles we’ve been going through and I think there can be a lot of respect shown to just keep fighting from everybody and we’re all going through the same thing.”
Wilson said he was “frustrated” by the report but not angry. He said he has never told anyone in the Jets locker room that he doesn’t want to play and “everybody knows I care about this team.”
Teammate Aaron Rodgers, who was supposed to be the team’s starter but tore his Achilles on the fourth snap of the season, expressed anger on “The Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday and came to the young quarterback’s defense, as the Deseret News previously reported.
“When you use sources and whether intentional or unintentional try to assassinate someone’s character like that report does for Zach, I have a real hard time with that,” he said. “You’re basically saying this kid is quitting on the team and doesn’t want to play and is giving the middle finger to the organization.”
Did Zach Wilson ask to be the Jets’ starter?
On Monday — the same day as The Athletic’s report — Saleh told the media that Wilson had come to him and expressed interest in the starter role.
When asked about that exchange, Wilson said he was already in Saleh’s office when the starting opportunity was brought up. He told his coach, “I want the ball and I appreciate him, and I think any opportunity is a good opportunity to take advantage of it.”
During his time on the bench, Wilson pretended he was the starter to stay dialed into the team’s game plan and to be ready if he was called upon again this season because “you can never assume anything week to week” in the NFL, he said.
Has Zach Wilson talked to the Jets about his future with the team?
Wilson said he hasn’t had any conversations with the front office about his future with the team after this season. He was asked by reporters if he was approaching this starting opportunity as an audition.
“I think anytime you have an opportunity, you’re putting on for every team in the league you know, whether that’s here in New York or anywhere. I mean, it’s not my option to choose what happens right, but I do have the opportunity to control what happens on the field at least from my play and my decision-making and so you know I really think the focus is just going out there and playing the best I can,” he said.
After this season, Wilson will have one more year left on his rookie contract with the Jets and a fifth-year option the team could pick up in the spring.
“I don’t think I need to think of it as, you know, ‘Oh if I do this, then maybe someone will give me a chance or maybe the Jets will keep (me).’ It doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. I’m out here to help this team win, to focus on competing because that’s what I love to do and I love spending time with these guys in the locker room every single day, so that’s where my focus is,” he said.