Zach Wilson Is Jets' No. 2 QB amid Aaron Rodgers Trade Rumors, HC Robert Saleh Says

If there were any doubts about whether the New York Jets were proceeding under the assumption that Aaron Rodgers would be their quarterback for the 2023 season, head coach Robert Saleh all but extinguished them on Monday while speaking about 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson

"He's our No. 2," he told reporters.

While no deal between the Jets and the Green Bay Packers has been finalized, Rodgers has already announced his desire to play in New York next season.

"I made it clear my intention was to play and to play for the Jets, and I haven't been holding anything up," Rodgers said earlier in March on The Pat McAfee Show (h/t Rich Cimini and Rob Demovsky of ESPN). "It's the compensation that the Packers are trying to get. ... The Packers want to move on and have let me know that in so many words."

"There are a lot of reasons why the Jets are attractive. There's one coach who has meant as much to me as any coach I've ever had," he added, referring to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who he worked with in Green Bay from 2019-21.

Saleh, meanwhile, has been openly excited about the chance to work with Rodgers.

"Two years ago when we first got there, just thinking about where we were and how far we've come. To have a guy like him want to play for us is pretty cool and shows how far we've come," he told the NFL Network's Judy Battista on Sunday. "But we still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do."

But then there's Wilson, who went from being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft to struggling as a rookie in 13 starts to eventually finding himself demoted at points during the 2022 season. And now he's just a backup, heading into his third NFL season.

The 23-year-old didn't make it a hard choice for the Jets once Rodgers became a possibility. In 22 starts over his short career he's thrown for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and a whopping 18 interceptions, taking 67 sacks and completing just 55.2 percent of his passes.

Those are rough numbers, especially when contrasted against a four-time MVP and one-time champion. So it's no surprise that the Jets already see Wilson as the backup.

It's just a touch surprising that Saleh is announcing it publicly before Rodgers is even officially on the roster.