Jets trade Zach Wilson to Broncos three years after drafting QB second overall

Following an up-and-down rookie season in 2021, Wilson was expected to take a step forward during his sophomore campaign. However, a preseason knee injury against the Eagles caused Wilson to miss the first four games of the 2022 season.

Wilson was first benched for then-Jets quarterback Mike White after failing to accept accountability after a 10-3 loss to the Patriots in November of 2022. That led to some of his Jets teammates wearing T-shirts in support of White after he became the starter. Wilson would later regain the starting quarterback job before losing it again during the final two games of that season.

In nine starts in 2022, Wilson finished with 1,688 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Following Rodgers’ season-ending injury in 2023, Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian were the remaining quarterbacks on the Jets roster. That decision came back to haunt the Jets after Wilson continued to struggle and was benched for Boyle during the team’s 32-6 loss to the Bills last November.

After Boyle was released following two poor starts against the Dolphins and Falcons, Wilson became the starter one last time and threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-6 victory against the Texans on Dec. 10.

But Wilson suffered a concussion the following week during a 30-0 loss to the Dolphins and missed the final three games of the season after the Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Siemian started the Jets’ final three games after Wilson was placed in concussion protocol. Wilson’s mother, Lisa, said the 24-year-old had problems with blurred vision and depth perception.

The Jets began their voluntary offseason workout program on Monday, but Wilson was not in attendance for Phase 1.

The 2021 draft class was supposed to be one of the best quarterback classes in recent memory. Instead, it becomes a cautionary tale for many teams this draft season.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the only first-round quarterback still on the team that drafted him. The 49ers traded Trey Lance to the Cowboys last season. The Patriots traded Mac Jones to the Jaguars last month, while the Bears traded Justin Fields to the Steelers.

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