Jets to release Zach Wilson? Report suggests team done with QB
The New York Jets and Zach Wilson might be headed for a split during the offseason. According to a report by Jay Glazer, the franchise lost confidence in the quarterback - and he has lost confidence in himself, worsening the situation following his horrific performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.
It's common practice in the league for first-round quarterbacks to be granted patience for their development, with teams usually giving them three years to fulfill their potential. However, Wilson's situation is unique because the Jets have a championship-caliber defense, and his play has been awful ever since he took over New York's offense.
Backup quarterback Mike White has played much better when healthy and he's set to be the Jets' starter for the final two games of the season, provided he's healthy.
Interested in betting? Check out these Week 16 NFL odds:
Zach Wilson contract: How much will QB earn in 2023?
In his third year in the NFL, Zach Wilson is set to count $9.58 million against the salary cap. He has a fully guaranteed salary of $3.85 million in 2023 and $5.43 million in 2024.
If the Jets decide to release him outright, they'll incur a dead cap penalty of $20.77 million. This number will be cut in half if he's traded for another team.
The salary cap hit number for Wilson is bigger than his fully guaranteed base salary because he has already received his signing bonus. The cap hit for the $22,92 million signing bonus is prorated through every year of the deal.
Why would it make sense?
A new team for the young quarterback would be the best scenario for both sides. For New York, they would move on from what was a catastrophic mistake and wouldn't lose any more time than that, giving them the possibility of going after a better quarterback; for Zach, this would allow him to get a fresh start somewhere else and perhaps learn from other coaches and quarterbacks how to correct some of his biggest flaws.
After being benched for Chris Streveler during Thursday Night Football, it's clear that there's no way back for the young quarterback in New York. If he wants to continue his NFL career and have any chance of success, he must move on. And so does the franchise.