Five years ago, former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson left the relative comfort of his parents’ home in Draper and his apartment in Provo for the bright lights of Broadway, and the searing spotlight of the largest media market in the world, New York City.
Having been selected with the No. 2 pick of the 2021 NFL draft by the lowly and ever-struggling New York Jets, Wilson had “sort of an idea” of what he was getting himself into, but the reality of the situation wouldn’t really hit him until months, or even years, later.
“My biggest fear going there was that I didn’t want to be another Sam Darnold, Geno Smith story,” he said Wednesday in one of his few public interviews since leaving the Jets after the 2023 season. “Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. It was a brutal three years, but looking back, there was a lot of good life experiences that I take from it that I feel like made me a better person.”
“If I could still go back, I would love to change the whole thing. I would love to be where I feel like I am right now,”
— Zach Wilson on his NFL journey
Wilson recently appeared at a ticketed event at Overtime Cards in Sandy in which customers paid $25 to have him sign an unlimited amount of sports memorabilia from his days with BYU, New York, Denver and Miami. Fans got pictures taken with the hometown hero, and Wilson took some time to chat with the Deseret News about a variety of topics. Mostly, he provided an update on his NFL career as he enters his sixth season in the league — with his fourth different team, the New Orleans Saints.
In March, after spending the 2024 season with the Broncos and the 2025 season with the Dolphins, Wilson signed a $1.4 million, one-year deal with the Saints. Nearly $600K is guaranteed, and an additional $187,500 signing bonus came with the agreement, according to several published reports.
“I love New Orleans. I mean, it’s still early on, but so far, it’s probably been one of my absolute favorite places I’ve been,” he said, noting that second-year Saints head coach Kellen Moore is a “big reason” why he picked that route. “Between there and being in Denver, they have very similar styles of offense, and it just fits my style of play so well. And I really love Kellen. I think he does an awesome job.”
Wilson said he had a few other options after his one-year contract (valued at $6 million) with the Dolphins expired in February, but he kept going back to the coach and system that would help him reach his potential the most, and that was Moore and the Saints.
“I really wanted to be there working with him, and it’s been exactly what I expected,” Wilson said. “I really have enjoyed being there, and the team in general. Their other quarterbacks are great, and I’m really enjoying just playing ball again right now. That’s all I can ask for.”
Moore and Wilson are both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although Wilson has repeatedly said he hasn’t been an active churchgoer since his youth and doesn’t want to be considered a “poster boy” for the church like former BYU quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Jaren Hall have been portrayed.
Hill was with the Saints for nine seasons, but the team did not offer the veteran utility player a new contract after the season and he is now an unrestricted free agent.
“We talked a little bit a while ago,” Wilson said. “I am not sure what Taysom’s plan is.”
Surprise delivery makes Wilson a first-time father
Remarkably, Wilson, who turns 27 early next month, fulfilled the commitment to event organizers on July 22 even though his wife of just more than a year, dress designer and social media influencer Nicolette Dellanno, earlier that day had given birth to a baby girl who was due on Sept. 4.
They have named their daughter Francesca Belle Wilson and will call her Frankie, Wilson said proudly before rushing back to the hospital in Provo to be with his family.
“My wife wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so we went to just get a little checkup, and then she was progressing and the doctors were like, ‘the baby is ready to come now,’” Wilson said. “Baby girl, 33 weeks, born right across the street from BYU. Honestly, it was a good birth, my wife wasn’t sick or anything, and was comfortable. We’re extremely grateful.”
The sudden arrival means a sudden change of plans for the Wilsons, who have been living in Mapleton in a new home that Zach’s brother, Josh, built “as kind of a spec home thing” that may or may not become Zach’s permanent home once his playing days are over.
The plan was to fly to New Orleans on Monday and have Wilson begin training camp with the Saints on Wednesday, then have Nicolette deliver the baby in New Orleans in September. At least they already have their housing situation settled in New Orleans, as Wilson participated in Organized Team Activities (OTAs) from April 15 to June 18 and got everything ready in the Big Easy.
Will Zach Wilson make the Saints’ roster?
Wilson joins a quarterback room in New Orleans that features undisputed starter Tyler Shough, who was 5-4 as a starter last year with 2,384 passing yards and 10 touchdowns. Former Oklahoma and South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler returns as a backup after losing the starting job to Shough midway through last season.
Most reports indicate that Wilson and Rattler will compete for the QB2 designation. Former Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers, who played for the UFL’s Houston Gamblers this past spring, is also on the training camp roster.
“I have some guaranteed money, obviously, but not as much as I probably had last year in Miami,” Wilson said. “My guarantees are not enough to make them care if they cut me. So I still got to earn a spot and all that stuff.”
Wilson turns 27 on Aug. 3 and says he’s in the best shape of his life and ready to throw his heart and soul into earning playing time with the Saints.
“I feel great. I haven’t played a lot in a few years, since all the New York stuff, obviously, but I feel great,” he said. “I feel like I’m happy. I’m loving football again. I got to learn from all those experiences and things, and I’ve really enjoyed all of the places that I’ve been. I made a lot of great friends last year in Miami, and it was a good place to be, but I’m loving New Orleans so far. I am just happy with what’s happening.”
‘At peace with myself … and the things that have happened’
Wilson insists that he still has a lot to give to professional football, and could flourish if given the right opportunity in the right place.
“My mindset has maybe shifted,” he said. “I’m still hungry to play and I want to get the opportunity to be on the field, but I also think if, for whatever reason, my career ended tomorrow, I’m at peace with myself as far as my career and the things that have happened, the experiences I’ve had.
“Obviously, I hope I get to keep playing and everything, but I just feel like mentally I’m in a good spot. I have nothing to lose. I can leave it all out there, enjoy it every single day, take out the business aspect of it and just love being on the field.
“When (retirement from football) comes calling for me and I’m done one day, I can be grateful for the opportunities and not be upset about it at all,” he concluded.
Wilson’s demeanor changes slightly when his time with the Jets is brought up. It is obvious that he wishes he was drafted by a team other than the perennial losers from the Big Apple.
“If I could still go back, I would love to change the whole thing. I would love to be where I feel like I am right now,” he said. “I got thrown into that situation as a kid, and we weren’t very good, and unfortunately, we had just lost our quarterback coach going into that season as well. He was the one guy with experience on that staff at the time.
“Looking back, I’m like, ‘Dang, I wish I could just kind of feel like what I’m feeling now,’” he continued. “I know more about the game and all of that stuff. But there were some good things that came out of it. A lot of those coaches, I still love and have good relationships with and I think are great coaches. It was hard on them, too. I wasn’t ready to be on the field, but it makes you tougher, that’s for sure.”
Zach Wilson’s post-football plans
While he isn’t sure he will live in the Mapleton home his brother built, or sell it, Wilson does know that he would like to live in that area of Utah County when his playing days are over. He and Nicolette will also buy a home in New Jersey because that’s where she grew up and where her parents still live.
“She likes Utah a lot, but it is a lot different than the East Coast,” Wilson said. “She misses her family, like anybody would. … I think we will be out here in Utah most of the time. We will see. Happy wife, happy life. She may drag me out of here. Who knows?”
He also wants to stay involved with BYU as much as possible, although the word “coaching” doesn’t cross his lips. Since his time in Miami ended, he’s mostly been in Utah and working out and training on an almost daily basis at BYU, where obviously he is welcomed with open arms — even if he helped steer his four-star QB brother to the rival University of Utah three years ago.
Isaac Wilson is transferring to Colorado, when many believed he would follow his former Corner Canyon coach, Eric Kjar, to Weber State.
The Deseret News will have Zach’s thoughts on that and a variety of other topics in a future article.
Nearly a half-dozen times in a 20-minute interview, Wilson expressed his love for BYU.
“It is great to be in Utah County and around BYU football again,” he said. “I feel like it’s been good for us this summer. We haven’t traveled as much as we normally do. We’ve gotten to just settle down with my wife being pregnant and just go to the facility and see everyone again. We love BYU sports in general and everything they are doing over there.”
