Zach Wilson's Top NFL Landing Spots After Jets QB Gets Permission to Seek Trade
The long-expected separation between Zach Wilson and the New York Jets is getting closer to becoming a reality.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas confirmed on Wednesday the team has given Wilson permission to seek a trade. This isn't a surprise considering how badly things have gone between the two parties over the past three seasons.
There was some speculation Wilson didn't want to start late last season after Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian struggled when they were given an opportunity to play.
Per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Jeff Howe, Wilson was "hesitant" to move back into the starting role going into Week 14 because of a perceived injury risk.
Wilson, who was eventually named the Week 14 starter, denied the report. By the time the season came to an end, the feeling was it would only be a matter of time before the 2021 No. 2 pick and the Jets parted ways, either via trade or by releasing him.
While it will likely take time before there is a resolution one way or another, here are the top potential landing spots for Wilson as he looks to resurrect his career in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts
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Let's get the obvious out of the way up front: Wherever Wilson lands, it's going to be with the idea he will be a backup. His only path to starting games next season is because the starter on his next team gets injured.
Now that we've taken care of that, the Indianapolis Colts are a team that has an interesting quarterback situation going into 2024.
Anthony Richardson showed some promise in the games he played after being selected with the No. 4 overall pick in last year's draft. The problem is he only played in four games and left three of them for at least one snap due to an injury.
Richardson's rookie campaign officially came to an end on Oct. 25 when he underwent surgery to repair an AC joint sprain.
Gardner Minshew II wound up starting 13 games for the Colts. He played pretty well with 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His 59.6 QBR was better than Geno Smith (59.5), C.J. Stroud (57.5) and Baker Mayfield (54.3).
While I think it's safe to say based on those comparisons that QBR is a flawed metric, it does at least indicate Minshew was able to play well in head coach Shane Steichen's system after being thrust into starting duty.
Minshew is set to become a free agent, leaving Sam Ehlinger as the only other quarterback behind Richardson on Indianapolis' roster.
Even though Wilson isn't known for his running ability, he has averaged 5.4 yards per carry on 93 attempts over the past three seasons. Steichen's system favors quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs.
The Colts would also present Wilson with the opportunity to play behind the best offensive line he's ever had in his NFL career.
Wilson is only guaranteed $5.45 million next season in the final year of his rookie deal, assuming the fifth-year option for 2025 doesn't get picked up. It's hardly cost-prohibitive for a Colts team that has almost $74 million in cap space.
Tennessee Titans
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If Wilson's desire is to have a chance at competing for a starting spot next season, he will likely take a hard look at some teams that aren't expected to be very good.
The Tennessee Titans seem poised to take yet another step back following a 6-11 record last season with the goal of finding players who can be long-term contributors after seemingly trying to walk a tightrope of rebuilding and contending.
New head coach Brian Callahan's most important task in 2024 will be maximizing the talent of Will Levis to see if he can be the answer Tennessee needs at quarterback.
One thing that's already known about Levis is wants to throw the ball really far at all times. He had the second-longest average yardage total on his touchdown passes in the league as a rookie.
Wilson may not have the same type of arm strength as Levis, but he's another player who also likes to hunt for deep shots at all times.
The Titans need a lot of things this offseason, primarily playmakers at the skill positions with Derrick Henry set to hit free agency. DeAndre Hopkins did crack 1,000 yards in 2023, but he should not be the No. 1 option for this team going into his age-32 season.
Backup quarterback is an area the Titans also have to address with Ryan Tannehill set to become a free agent. Malik Willis is still on the roster, but there has been no indication he's improved enough over the past two seasons to be relied on as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart.
Minnesota Vikings
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The Vikings have to figure out who their starting quarterback is going to be in 2024 before worrying about a backup.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell has expressed optimism that Kirk Cousins, who is set to become a free agent, will be back next season.
If we assume Cousins ends up back in Minnesota, then O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can turn their attention to finding a No. 2 for the depth chart.
The Vikings have a terrific offensive infrastructure with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson at the skill positions to take pressure off the quarterback.
O'Connell is an offensive-minded head coach who has worked with Cousins, Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford in his career.
Nick Mullens is under contract for another season, but he didn't really endear himself to the coaching staff last season. The 28-year-old threw six touchdowns and eight interceptions in three starts, all losses.
Whatever anyone's thoughts about Wilson might be, he only had seven interceptions 368 attempts last season. His career interception rate of 2.5 percent is significantly better than Mullens at 3.9 percent.
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