Zach Wilson Traded To Denver Broncos – Is He The Answer To Their QB Situation?

Following his three years with the New York Jets, quarterback Zach Wilson is the newest member of the Denver Broncos. New York took Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he never cemented himself as the starter and franchise leader in New York.

Instead, he looks for a fresh start leading a team hoping to shake off from their time with Russell Wilson. In addition to landing Wilson, Denver also gets a seventh-round pick while having to give up a sixth-round pick in the deal. The Jets, meanwhile, will still have to pay part of his $5.5 million salary next season, but they hope that Aaron Rodgers will stay healthy and take his place as the established starter.

Wilson’s three years in New York were eventful, with him moving in and out of the starting position. With Wilson at the helm, the team went 3-10 in his rookie year, throwing for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns, 11 interceptions and taking 44 sacks. Wilson only played nine games in his second year, throwing for six touchdowns and seven interceptions while the team once again missed the playoffs.

Rodgers was initially thought to be the fix in 2023, but Wilson once again became the team’s starter after his injury in the season’s opening game. He threw for a similar 2,271 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions, but the team went 4-7 with Wilson starting and missed the playoffs despite having a top-3 defense in the league. In his Jets career, Wilson only played in 34 games while throwing for more touchdowns than interceptions, was the second-most sacked quarterback, and the team failed to finish a season with more than eight wins in that span.

For the past two seasons in Denver, Russell Wilson was in a similar situation as the Jets quarterback, unable to put up the expected numbers and lead the team to the playoffs. Instead, he went to Pittsburgh and joined a team and fanbase looking for a fresh start. The Broncos are still expected to pay much of Wilson’s contract, so they added Wilson from the Jets as a budget option for this year. They also have Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci as the other quarterbacks on their roster.

Denver also has the No. 12 pick in the upcoming draft and could use that to land another quarterback on a team-friendly deal. Regardless, the move from New York to Denver will at least give Wilson a new opportunity to jumpstart his career in a less demanding sports media environment. Wilson signed a four-year $35 million rookie deal with the Jets and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Article by Eli Gregorski