Garrett Wilson Defends Zach Wilson, Supports Jets QB After Aaron Rodgers' Injury

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson is voicing his belief in Zach Wilson as the third-year quarterback will return to a starting role with Aaron Rodgers out for the season.

Speaking to reporters after Thursday's practice, Garrett Wilson explained it's important for him and the rest of the team to vocalize their support for Zach Wilson "because of the effect" that positive reinforcement can have on people:

"Belief, people believing in you, people that you get to work with every day believing in you. Sometimes it can seem like the world is against you, but it's never really the case. We always got our guy's back. It can be tough playing ball, especially playing quarterback, in this part of the world. Because of that, and all the other things, we always want to make sure we got our brother's back. If he doesn't know that, then I'm doing my job wrong. I want to make sure I give him all the empowerment in the world, and I know all the other guys feel the same about it."

Rodgers' season came to an end just four snaps into his first game with the Jets. The four-time NFL MVP suffered a torn Achilles when he was sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd and had successful surgery on Thursday.

The injury thrust Zach Wilson back into the spotlight two years after he was the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. He was replaced by Rodgers after throwing for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 22 starts over the past two seasons.

Zach's first attempt at a fresh start wasn't wholly inspiring. The 24-year-old went 14-of-21 for 140 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Bills. New York was able to win the game 22-16 in overtime on Xavier Gipson's walk-off punt return.

Head coach Robert Saleh, who has said they will move forward with Wilson as their starting quarterback, pushed back on fans and analysts trying to bury them in the wake of Rodgers' injury.

"I don't know why people are trying to put an obituary onto our team name," Saleh told reporters on Tuesday. "Aaron is an unbelievable piece to this whole thing and we love him, but I think there's 52 other guys in the locker room plus the 16 practice squad guys that believe that we can do a hell of a lot of good things here."

It's not impossible for the Jets to succeed with Wilson as their quarterback. They were 7-4 after 11 games last season with Wilson and Joe Flacco starting games.

Any Super Bowl aspirations for the Jets will depend on Wilson—or another quarterback from outside of the organization—being able to elevate the offense to a higher level than it was in 2022 when they finished with the fourth-fewest points per game in the NFL.

Having Garrett Wilson does make life easier on the quarterback. His circus catch on Zach Wilson's touchdown pass in the fourth quarter tied the game at 13. The 23-year-old was named Offensive Rookie of the Year last season after racking up 1,103 yards despite the erratic quarterback play around him.