Zach Wilson’s tumultuous stint with the New York Jets is almost assuredly at an end. This week, the team granted the former No. 2 overall draft pick permission to seek a trade.
Media pundits, fans and even some within the Jets organization are pointing fingers at Wilson for things not working out. But the reality is, those fingers need to be pointed directly back at the three entities directing their angst toward Wilson.
In a recent article published on ESPN, Jets reporter Rich Cimini revealed comments made by Jets owner Woody Johnson indicating discontent with the Jets offense and with Wilson.
“You need a backup quarterback.” he said. “We didn’t have one last year.”
Former BYU linebacker and Super Bowl champion Brady Poppinga, who played eight years in the NFL, opined on Johnson’s comments during our radio program on ESPN960.
“It was the most ignorant comment I’ve ever seen,” Poppinga said. “(Johnson) doesn’t even know the game to even know what was happening. It was obviously not the quarterback. You don’t have guys pop off and become the NFL Offensive Player of the Week if they’re no good.”
Poppinga was referencing Wilson’s Week 14 performance, where he completed 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-6 win over the Houston Texans. Granted, such performances have been the exception for Wilson and not the rule, but he’s shown to be capable and talented enough when provided the necessary supportive framework.
Pulling an Eli Manning?
Given Wilson’s current status, it’s interesting to reflect on what went wrong during his three years with the Jets and how it could have worked out better for all parties involved. I recall clearly presenting the thought on my program, just prior to the 2021 NFL draft, that it would be prudent for Wilson to pull an “Eli Manning” when it became clear the Jets intended to draft him.
Some may recall Manning’s move in the 2004 draft, where he was picked by the San Diego Chargers No. 1 overall before being traded to the New York Giants quickly thereafter. The Manning camp made it abundantly clear to the Chargers organization that he did not want to be part of their operation, with the Chargers ultimately obliging him with the trade.
Manning went on to start 16 straight years for the Giants and won two Super Bowls.
Wilson would have been well-served to have taken similar action.
“Trust me … there were so many conversations about so many things,” said former BYU quarterback John Beck, who remains highly involved in training Wilson as part of his 3DQB operation, during our show several weeks ago. “None of that matters now, but there were a lot of people in Zach’s corner that discussed (it) a lot when those situations were happening during the pre-draft. There was a lot going on behind the scenes.”
But to me, it does matter and I couldn’t help but think while watching the Super Bowl this past month of how things could have worked out differently for Wilson had he gone the “Eli Manning route.”
The San Francisco 49ers is very likely where Wilson would have landed had he rebuffed the Jets, and from my perspective, he could have been taking snaps for that same team during this past Super Bowl, barring injury.
To many, that may seem like way too much projection. But to me, it’s not that far-fetched.
Consider Wilson’s skill set relative to, not just Brock Purdy, but other quarterbacks who have operated 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense since it hit stride in 2020. Less-talented players, such as Nick Mullens and Jimmy Garropolo, have provided enough to complement the tremendous framework of talent 49er executives and coaches have developed within the franchise.
The 49ers are absolutely the antithesis of the Jets — a regrettable fact as far as Wilson is concerned.
The Jets’ track record with Johnson as their owner has been less than stellar, and with regards to managing the quarterback position specifically, the track record is abysmal.
Granted, things started off quite positively for Johnson and the Jets shortly after he purchased the franchise in January 2000.
The Jets selected Chad Pennington with the No. 18 overall pick that same year, and after two years of backing up Vinny Testaverde, broke through with a successful 2002 campaign. Pennington was met with a lucrative seven-year, $64 million contract just prior to the 2004 season, which was the richest in franchise history at that time.
But injuries largely contributed to Pennington’s demise shortly thereafter, and the Jets have struggled mightily finding consistent success at the quarterback position since.
The list of Jets quarterbacks to start a game during Johnson’s ownership speaks for itself.
- Vinny Testaverde.
- Chad Pennington.
- Brooks Bollinger.
- Brett Favre.
- March Sanchez.
- Geno Smith.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick.
- Josh McCown.
- Sam Darnold.
- Zach Wilson.
- Aaron Rodgers.
Quarterbacks with the Jets have largely consisted of rookie quarterbacks that didn’t develop well with a few veterans sprinkled in between.
Coincidence? Not likely.
“They’ve been an absolute mess,” Poppinga said. “Woody Johnson has had good football people in there (in his organization), and it’s been a disaster. I’ve never once been like, ‘Hey, this is a really good organization. It always starts at the top, and that’s where the problem is. … And that, my friends, is why Jets fans are miserable.”
A mendacious media
The New York metropolitan area differs widely from other markets given its sheer size and rich history, which can prove a detriment for sports franchises within its boundaries. The Jets perhaps have been affected more so than most, however.
“The first issue is that they’re smothered with their media,” Poppinga explained. “No one should care about the media … but it puts everyone on this uneasy sort of ground, where if something goes south, you don’t want to be the target of the media because, all of the sudden, the perception the media creates becomes the reality, and that’s exactly what’s happened with Zach Wilson.”
Poppinga went on to explain that proactive leadership within an organization, beginning with the team’s owner, can work to stunt a media’s undue influence, pointing to his experience playing for the Green Bay Packers as a prominent example. But considering Johnson’s insistence on appeasing the media, the Jets, and more than several notable players, have suffered.
“They have not protected (Wilson),” Poppinga said.
Cimini confirmed that Johnson and others can be influenced adversely by the media and other entities outside the organization.
“I think sometimes the people making decisions listen too much to the outside noise,” Cimini said of Jets management on our show back in December. “... I think what the Jets have lacked for some time is that one dominant personality in the building, and they really haven’t had it since Bill Parcells left in 2000 — the one experienced voice that comes in and basically says, ‘I don’t care what anybody thinks. I’m doing it my way.’ And you can’t argue with him because he’s done it before.”
Cimini proceeded to give a rare inside look on how Johnson makes himself unnecessarily involved to the detriment of his organization on his podcast.
Given the framework enhanced by Johnson’s level of involvement, the media and its fans have been running the Jets by proxy, which is a recipe for futility.
Not all organizations are created equal
The New York Jets ownership, fans, media and perhaps even the coaches actually believed after the 2022 season that they were a QB away from going to a Super Bowl. It’s the type of assumption that speaks to the disconnect the Jets organization has fostered from its true reality as a viable contender.
“There’s no way they were just a quarterback away,” Poppinga said. “I mean, I hope Aaron (Rodgers) proves me wrong on that, but he popped his Achilles for a reason, and it’s because he needed better protection.”
Poppinga is, of course, pointing to Rodgers being tabbed as the missing part to the Jets’ Super Bowl equation, only to see him exit the 2023 season due to tearing his Achilles tendon after taking just four snaps. It was apparent even prior to that fourth snap that the Jets offensive line was having fundamental protection issues from the get-go, which illustrates Poppinga’s larger point that the Jets are in need of a lot more than simply a capable quarterback or even a Hall of Fame quarterback.
But forget the Jets. Wilson’s time with the team has mercifully come to an end, with the focus turning toward the best landing spot for someone whom I believe can still be a highly successful NFL quarterback.
Unfortunately, for Wilson, there are organizations within the NFL that present similar issues to that of the Jets. Yet, there are plenty that can provide him an experience on the opposite end of the spectrum.
“Not all organizations are created equal. It’s not 32 organizations that are all functioning the same way, or functioning properly, or doing things right. Not even close,” Beck said. “When you’re in it, you recognize why some coaches want to get to certain locations and why some coaches don’t take certain jobs.”
So which specific organizations provide the best landing spots for Wilson moving forward?
There are several franchises that would provide a productive culture and offensive system, but to me, my thoughts always turn to the West Coast. Whether it’s Sean McVay and the Rams or Shanahan and the 49ers, those two organizations could use Zach Wilson and Zach Wilson could use them.
Once Wilson was off the board in 2021, the 49ers opted to draft Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall selection. Things didn’t work out for Lance in San Francisco, but I believe it could have proved different for Wilson. While Lance was largely a project coming into the draft, Wilson provided a ready knowledge and skill set that could have thrived in Shanahan’s system when given the opportunity.
But even more importantly, the 49ers system provides a culture and framework that doesn’t necessitate elite quarterback play. It’s a system that succeeds largely due to a collaborative effort from highly talented personnel on offense, not to mention one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Shanahan’s offensive scheme was run by quarterbacks like Mullens, Garoppolo and Purdy to a great deal of success. While each of those three quarterbacks are certainly capable, I believe none possess the upside of Wilson — an upside that easily could have been realized with the 49ers.
San Francisco still provides a great landing spot for Wilson, along with several others, such as the Rams, Broncos and Chiefs, among others. Ideally Wilson will be afforded at least one year to fade into the background, develop and then perhaps surface much like Geno Smith did this past season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Wherever Wilson winds up, I strongly believe the book on his NFL career has just begun. Regardless of all the many factors that ailed him while with the Jets, he still possesses the extraordinary talent, football IQ and the necessary work ethic to carve out a Steve Young-like redemption story.
Ben Criddle is the host of “Cougar Sports with Ben Criddle” on ESPN 960AM and a former BYU defensive back.