Getty Former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields reacting after an NFL game.
The New York Jets weren’t directly involved in the Justin Fields trade over the weekend, but they were still deemed the biggest “loser” from the festivities.
NFL Media’s Judy Battista revealed all of the winners and losers from the Chicago Bears sending Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round draft choice.
Gang Green caught a stray bullet because, “If the Bears got only a conditional sixth-round pick for Fields, who played reasonably well last season, what can the Jets hope to get in a trade for Zach Wilson, whom they want to trade with even fewer backup jobs available,” Battista asked openly.
The Wilson QB Trade Market Isn’t Looking Good for the Jets
Rich Cimini of ESPN noted that Wilson’s “New Jersey condo went on the market about 10 days ago, the New York Post reported. The Jets are trying to find a new home for him, but the trade market hasn’t been kind.”
Wilson, 24, is heading into his fourth professional season in 2024. He is 12-21 as a starting quarterback and has thrown more interceptions (25) than touchdown passes (23).
Wilson has certainly shown flashes but his statistics rank among the worst in league history for a quarterback having just a few seasons under his belt.
It certainly didn’t help Wilson’s trade value for the Jets owner Woody Johnson to publically lambaste him at NFL Honors.
“We need a backup quarterback. We didn’t have one last year,” Johnson told Brian Costello of the New York Post.
Woody Johnson at NFL Honors: “We need a backup quarterback. We didn’t have one last year.”
Wilson has one year left on his standard rookie contract through 2024. There is also a $22.4 million fifth-year option that must be accepted or declined by May 2. If that option is accepted he would be under contract through 2025. If that option is declined, the former BYU passer would be scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
Jets Made Have to Go to Extraordinary Lengths to Trade Wilson
A lot of the backup quarterback seats are quickly being filled this offseason. That means there are fewer potential destinations for Wilson to possibly land.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said the Jets might have to “give a sixth-round pick” to another team just to entice them to take Wilson off of their hands this offseason.
If the green and white simply release Wilson they will see no cap benefit from the move. He is on the books for an $11.1 million cap hit for the Jets. All of that will hit New York if he is cut.
The only way the Jets could enjoy some cap relief is by trading him to another team. If another team acquires his contract as is the Jets could save $5.4 million.
So New York may be faced with the choice of just eating the dead cap money and cutting ties. Or attaching a late-day three-draft selection to salary dump him on another team for cap relief.
Gang Green has given Wilson and his camp permission to seek a trade. Brian Costello of the New York Post told me on “The Boy Green Show” that they did that as soon as the season was over. That was a few months ago and there has been nothing but crickets.