Zach Wilson Trade Rumors: Jets 'Holding Out' for a Team to Take 'a Chunk of' Contract

The New York Jets haven't gotten much traction on a trade for Zach Wilson, but they're reportedly holding out hope the market will pick up around the 2024 NFL draft.

Rich Cimini of ESPN reported the Jets are "waiting for a team willing to pick up a chunk of his $5.5 million salary" before agreeing to trade Wilson.

The 2021 first-round pick has been on the trade block the entire offseason, but the Jets haven't found a taker yet. Both sides seem to want a divorce, but Jets owner Woody Johnson said the team has no plans on releasing Wilson.

"From his standpoint, it's probably better if he changes faces and gets to a new place and he can wipe the slate clean," Johnson said. "I think that would probably be better for him. "Zach is a valuable asset. I said it would be better for him. No, we're not just going to release him."

Wilson is one of the worst draft picks in Jets history. He's thrown for 6,293 yards and 23 touchdowns against 25 interceptions during his three-year NFL career, posting a 12-21 record as a starter.

The Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers last offseason to replace Wilson as their starter, but the four-time MVP suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 1. Wilson wound up starting 11 games but was replaced in the starting lineup on multiple occasions.

The 2024 season is the final year of Wilson's rookie contract. The Jets or his next team will have a fifth-year option available at $22.4 million, but it's a virtual certainty they will decline that number.