Former BYU QB Zach Wilson is reportedly headed west to Broncos

SALT LAKE CITY — Zach Wilson is reportedly on the transfer, and he is headed again west.

The previous New York Jets starter and No. 2 choose within the 2021 NFL draft can be traded to the Denver Broncos in alternate for a late-round choose swap and wage issues, according to NFL Networker insider Ian Rapoport.

As a part of the deal, the Jets and Broncos will swap a sixth- and seventh-round choose, with the Jets agreeing to pay for a few of Wilson’s $5.45 million assured wage he’s owed — cut up evenly between the 2 groups, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Rapoport and co-worker Tom Pelissero mentioned Denver will obtain the No. 256 general choose within the seventh spherical, whereas the Jets get the No. 207 choice within the sixth spherical.

The Jets have brazenly been eager on shifting Wilson for a while, however Jets normal supervisor Joe Douglas referred to Wilson as an “asset,” as effectively.

“Zach is an asset, and at that very same time we’re clearly open to buying and selling Zach,” mentioned Douglas throughout his annual predraft information convention, after the Jets signed Tyrod Taylor as the first backup to a recovering Aaron Rogers. “There have been discussions.”

Nonetheless, the 24-year-old sign caller who prepped at Nook Canyon Excessive will get a possibility for a recent begin a brief flight from his house state after three up-and-down seasons within the Huge Apple (with extra downs than ups).

In three seasons with the Jets, who introduced sooner or later Corridor-of-Fame quarterback from the Packers final 12 months earlier than an Achilles’ tendon damage ended his 2023 season after simply 4 snaps, Wilson accomplished 57% of his passes for six,293 yards, 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.

After a rookie marketing campaign that noticed him throw extra picks (11) than touchdowns (9), the 6-foot-2 Wilson rebounded to throw for two,271 yards and eight touchdowns with seven interceptions in 12 video games relieving Rogers in 2023.

Wilson was benched twice in his second season, then once more despatched to the sideline for 2 video games in favor of backup Tim Boyle. However New York returned to Wilson to complete out the season, together with among the best performances of his profession when he accomplished 27-of-36 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns within the Jets’ 30-6 victory over Houston.

Wilson earned AFC offensive participant of the week for that efficiency, however a concussion the next week within the first half of New York’s 30-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 17 despatched him again to the sidelines in what amounted to the ultimate recreation of his Jets profession.

“I assumed he had a fantastic OTAs, a fantastic coaching camp,” coach Robert Saleh mentioned late within the season, per the Related Press. “I assumed he battled. He fought. He is a fighter, he actually is. Clearly there’s issues that he needs he might have again and I do know there’s a variety of issues he improved on. Some issues have been out of his management.

“I’ve mentioned it and I am going to say it once more: I believe he will have a protracted profession on this league.”

Within the final 34 video games, Wilson has thrown 23 touchdowns with 25 interceptions, and his 57% completion share and 73.2 passer score rank among the many worst within the league throughout that span.

Within the Broncos, Wilson will get a staff shifting on from Russell Wilson, the longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback who threw for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns with eight interceptions a 12 months in the past with the Broncos earlier than signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Denver has two different quarterbacks on the roster in Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci, in addition to eight picks on this week’s NFL draft together with the No. 12 general choose.

The transfer is surprisingly harking back to one the Jets made two years in the past, sending Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers just some weeks earlier than drafting Wilson. Darnold was the No. 3 general select of USC within the 2018 draft, however by no means lived as much as the lofty expectations positioned upon him at 1 Jets Drive.

He went on to throw for 546 yards with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 18 video games over two seasons for the Panthers earlier than becoming a member of the San Francisco 49ers final 12 months and showing in 10 video games as a backup.

Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings in March.

Contributing: Related Press