New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will not attend voluntary offseason workouts in what general manager Joe Douglas labeled a “player’s choice.”
There has been no traction gained in trade talks with teams interested in Wilson, Douglas said Friday at his pre-draft news conference. But Wilson is still hoping to play elsewhere next season and didn’t report to the start of the Jets’ offseason program.
“I think it’s each player’s choice whether they’re going to be here for phase one,” Douglas said. “These are all voluntary. There are quite a few players that haven’t come for the first week so, look, that’s a decision that Zach has to make.”
Douglas granted Wilson’s request for permission to seek a trade in February before New York added former Giants backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor to back up Aaron Rodgers.
New York took Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, and he has a record of 12-21 as an on-again, off-again starter for three seasons.
Rodgers is coming back from a torn Achilles to be the starter in 2024.
Douglas signaled during the NFL Scouting Combine in February that Wilson’s time with the franchise likely was over.
“I’ve had good conversations with his agent, Brian Ayrault,” Douglas said. “Where we are exactly, we’ve given them permission to talk to other teams about a trade. … Other than that, there’s nothing else to report.”
Wilson, 24, was 4-7 in 2023 and passed for 2,271 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Through 34 games (33 starts), he has completed 57.0 percent of his passes for 6,293 yards, 23 TDs and 25 picks.
Of the five first-round quarterbacks from the 2021 draft, only No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars will be his original team’s starter in 2024.
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Trey Lance third overall and traded him to the Dallas Cowboys last August. Justin Fields was the No. 11 pick by the Chicago Bears and Mac Jones went 15th to the New England Patriots. The Steelers acquired Fields last month and Jones was traded to be Lawrence’s backup with the Jaguars.
