Zach Wilson has reportedly already “picked the brains” of former Jets quarterbacks such as Chad Pennington, Josh McCown and Mark Sanchez.
Those thinking of purchasing a New York Jets jersey bearing Zach Wilson‘s name may finally have the go-ahead to start stitching his surname on the back.
The possibility of Wilson joining the Jets seems stronger than ever after a report from NFL Network on Thursday. Insider Aditi Kinkhabwala has revealed, according to Wilson’s coach and fellow Provo passing legend John Beck, that the young BYU quarterback has already “picked the brains” of former Jets passers as he prepares to don green himself.
“He’s preparing to be a Jets quarterback,” Kinkhabwala said during a Thursday segment. “To that end, (John) Beck told me today, he has gotten on the phone with Chad Pennington, Josh McCown, and Mark Sanchez to talk about what it means to play for that organization in that environment. That, to me, says that he is trying to eliminate any of the unknowns.”
Zach Wilson is preparing not just to be a franchise QB, but to be the #Jets franchise QB. His QB coach, John Beck, told me Wilson has picked the brains of Chad Pennington, Josh McCown and Mark Sanchez on all things re the club, the market, the media
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) April 22, 2021
Kinkhabwala theorizes that, through these calls, Wilson is trying to get the hang of a New York setting.
One of the rare weaknesses on Wilson’s scouting report is that he may have trouble adjusting to a big NFL market after spending his entire life in Utah. It certainly can’t hurt to spark up conversations with quarterbacks that have a combined 15 years of experience in New York. Sanchez and Penning may have even more to offer as first round picks of the past.
“We’ve made a fairly big deal out of the fact that he grew up in Utah, he’s been in Utah, he’s from this very close-knit community and family and so yeah, New York, Florham Park, New Jersey, whatever you want to call it, may be a little bit of an adjustment for him. I love the fact that he’s already trying to figure out that piece of it, and not just the football aspect.”
The first round of the 2021 NFL draft will be held on April 29 (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN/NFL Network)
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
