Could former New York Jets draft bust Zach Wilson get another opportunity as a starting quarterback?
After signing a one-year, fully guaranteed $6 million contract with division-rival Miami Dolphins in free agency, Wilson spoke to reporters on Monday. When asked if he is ready to “embrace the journeyman label,” Wilson said he is taking a different approach.
“I would like to view it differently,” the former No. 2 overall pick responded. “Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with being a journeyman. But I still believe I can be a starter in this league whenever the opportunity comes. And so, just trying to put myself in the best situation with the best team and coaches and do the absolute best that I can and then, you know, hopefully, at some point, you can get that opportunity to show what you can do.”
Wilson, 25, is arguably the biggest draft bust in Jets history. The BYU product spent his first three NFL seasons with the Jets before he was traded to the Denver Broncos in April 2024, where he did not log a snap during the regular season.
During his 2021 rookie season, Wilson started 13 games for the Jets, throwing for just 2,334 yards and nine touchdowns to 11 interceptions.
In 2022, Wilson missed three games early in the season with an injury and was benched multiple times later in the year. He ultimately played nine games and finished the season with 1,688 yards and six touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Entering the 2023 season, the expectation was that Wilson would sit and learn behind future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but that plan didn’t last for long. After Rodgers tore his Achilles four plays into the season, Wilson took over as the starter. He finished the season with 2,271 passing yards and eight touchdowns to seven interceptions over 12 games, getting benched for quarterbacks Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian.
Wilson’s disastrous stint with the Jets may have pulled him out of a starting quarterback role for the time being, but Wilson still believes he has what it takes to be a starter at the NFL level. He may receive an opportunity to prove it in 2025.
After redshirting the 2024 season in Denver, Wilson landed with the Miami Dolphins in this year’s free agency period. Wilson is currently projected to be Miami’s backup quarterback behind Tua Tagovailoa, as they are the only two quarterbacks on the roster as of March 25.
Tagovailoa has dealt with well-documented injury issues in the NFL, appearing in just 64 out of a possible 84 regular season games in his career. He missed six games in the 2024 season, including four with a concussion and two with a hip injury.
Backing up an injury-prone starter, Wilson may very well get an extended chance to make a statement in 2025. After all, Sam Darnold and Geno Smith have recently shown that it is possible to return to the NFL’s starting quarterback tier after a disastrous start with the Jets. Wilson hopes to follow in their footsteps, and with two games against New York on his 2025 schedule, he may get to prove himself against his former team.
