Simms is as stubborn as the most ardent of Zach Wilson lovers
Prior to the 2021 NFL Draft, Chris Simms topped the list of the Zach Wilson hype train artists.
While many liked Wilson’s athleticism, arm, and off-platform magic, Simms went a step further and said that the presumed No. 2 overall pick would be better than Trevor Lawrence, who many were calling the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck.
I love me some Zach Wilson. The @nyjets got a quarterback who has the most explosive arm in the draft and a guy with a lot of Rodgers and Mahomes ish qualities. I am excited about him and the fit. Wilson and LaFleur can be a lot like Rodgers and LaFleur
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) April 30, 2021
Jets fans were certainly hopeful that this would be the case. However, after a dismal rookie season brightened by slight rays of hope at the end, there was reason to be concerned. Simms, though, looked at the end of the year as a shining beacon of proof that Wilson was on the upswing.
Simms has continued to excuse and defend Wilson throughout his struggles, pointing to the Jets’ offensive line, lack of a run game, the game conditions, and pretty much anything else but No. 2.
Zach Wilson’s game vs the Pats was obviously not good. The postgame press conference was not a good look. The wild overreaction and cherry picking of his worst plays to conclude that he can never be a real QB is also not good.
Let’s go through each pass play from Sunday:
— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) November 22, 2022
In fact, after Robert Saleh decided to bench Wilson in favor of Mike White, Simms heavily criticized the move, saying that it was going to ruin Wilson permanently.
Following White’s pinpoint performance against the Bears, Simms has continued to insist that the Jets are ruining Zach Wilson. It was ironic to hear that adamant statement in the same sentence as the admission that Wilson likely would not have played as well as White.
https://twitter.com/Djbienaime/status/1597400248846282752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Simms’s reaction is human but can damage his credibility as an analyst. He is far from the first draft prognosticator to fall in love with a quarterback and be wrong. In fact, of the last 15 quarterbacks drafted in the top five picks of the draft, only four of them (27%) have been legitimate hits. Many gurus liked those failed quarterbacks and hailed them as the next great thing.
It’s one thing to just move on without admitting that you were wrong, but to double and triple down with increasing desperation as the player fails shows a certain level of ego. This is true in all areas of life, not just in sports media.
There can be a debate about whether Mike White has enough upside to make it worthwhile to play him for the rest of the season. There may be room to question the decision to take Zach Wilson out without giving him one more chance against the worst defense he would have faced in many weeks. But there isn’t room to do so simply because of a refusal to admit that one could have possibly been wrong.
So adds to the list of national analysts who are taking controversial stands and possibly making fools of themselves. Others include:
- Daryl Johnston saying on the Jets-Bears broadcast that the Jets’ defense is not championship caliber because they do not have any elite finishers like Aaron Donald, then doubling down even while saying that Quinnen Williams leads all interior defensive linemen in pressures
- Richard Sherman calling Mike White a clear franchise quarterback
Lesson for life: be willing to admit when you are wrong. I’m writing my apology notes to Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich as I type.
