Steve Young still believes in former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson after his three rough seasons with the New York Jets.
The former No. 2 overall pick has likely played his last snap for the Jets. The Deseret News previously reported that the team has told Wilson he will be traded in the offseason.
Can Zach Wilson still succeed in the NFL?
Young thinks Wilson has the talent to be a successful quarterback in the NFL, he told Adam Schefter Tuesday on “The Adam Schefter Podcast.”
“You’ve seen the talent, and you want to say to yourself, he is that guy that has all of that talent to be able to do all of that,” he said. “That’s why he was drafted where he was.”
But the Hall of Fame quarterback doesn’t find Wilson blameless in his struggles in New York, where “he had many chances to iterate.”
“Like I told you from the very beginning, you need help,” he said. “And sometimes it’s that innovative mind that clicks with you.”
Who should trade for Zach Wilson?
There are seven or eight teams with innovative minds that Young said he would love to play for right now if he was in his prime: the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens.
He sees one of those teams as an especially attractive landing spot for Wilson.
“To me, the place he needs to be is in LA. Go with Sean McVay. Follow (Matthew) Stafford and just sit there and watch the magic and then see if you can pick it up,” Young said. “If you can, then you can be one of the best because you have the talent for it. But he has to get to one of those spots.”
Young would suit up for the 49ers again and play under Kyle Shanahan if he could, but he knows San Francisco isn’t an option for Wilson due to the success of Brock Purdy.
Of those eight teams listed by Young, only two are viable options: the Vikings and Rams.
Kirk Cousins’ contract with the Vikings expires in March, but a trade to Minnesota would pit Wilson against his BYU successor Jaren Hall.
A trade to the Rams would give Wilson more time to understand McVay’s offense before taking over for the almost 36-year-old Stafford. It would also give him a chance to throw passes to Puka Nacua, who played his first season at BYU after Wilson was drafted in 2021.
“There’s these innovative minds taking advantage of the rule changes,” Young said. “(Wilson) needs to get to one of those spots. He needs to join forces (with them). If we’re going to see anything out of Zach Wilson into the future, he needs to get away from these places that are not quarterback friendly.”
If Young was in Wilson’s position, there are 20 teams he would personally avoid playing for, five he’d be semi-interested in and seven he’d say, “Yes anyone of them. Get me there now.”
“That’s the challenge,” he said. “It’s like 1 in 5 chances that you get to a team that can actually get the full measure of yourself. He needs to find that space. He needs to get there.”