The New York Jets shook up the NFL at the 2025 trade deadline by trading two homegrown stars for massive returns.
They had a chance to do it again in 2026, but they refused; and the star himself wasn’t eager for it to happen, either.
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs “were interested” in trading for Wilson, but a deal “never was a realistic possibility”. Not only did the Jets not want to trade him, but Wilson “didn’t want to leave,” per Cimini.
Recently, Wilson spoke openly about his frustrations with the Jets’ perpetual losing throughout his career and whether he wanted to leave.
“I want to win games and that’s the one thing we’ve been missing here. I love it here. Do I love it more than I love winning? Nah, to be completely honest, but I’m hopeful,” said the 26-year-old.
Wilson is in the midst of an excellent fifth season. He has been elite in the separation and pass-catching departments, making him one of the NFL’s best wide receivers of 2026 across metrics that evaluate players independently of their surroundings.
In the box score, Wilson’s numbers aren’t too far off from his career norms; in eight games, he has caught 43 of 63 targets for 527 yards and three touchdowns, putting him on pace for 86 receptions, 1,054 yards, and six touchdowns over 16 games. His efficiency is up, as he is averaging a career-best 8.4 yards per target, but his opportunities are down; the Jets are throwing him a career-low 7.9 targets per game.
Wilson’s impact goes beyond stats, though. The attention demanded by Wilson has yielded favorable opportunities for the Jets’ plethora of young weapons to dominate in one-on-one situations, especially rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who has been a standout.
Despite the success of Wilson and the Jets’ passing game, the team still ranks just 25th in points per game, mostly due to a lethargic red zone offense (40.7% touchdown rate, 31st). Wilson has seen only six red zone targets, catching one, which went for a touchdown.
Pair the Jets’ touchdown allergy on offense with their defensive woes, and you get a 2-7 record, bringing the franchise to a 24-53 mark (.312) across Wilson’s career. New York is 22-44 (.333) with Wilson on the field.
It remains to be seen how much more losing Wilson can put up with; a trade can be revisited at any point in the future, and he has already made it known that he isn’t happy with the franchise’s complete non-competitiveness. For now, though, he still seems committed to making things work in Florham Park.
