Green Bay Packers Made the Right Move by Signing Zach Wilson…
NFL draft from the Broncos, who in addition to Wilson will get a seventh-round pick (No. 256). The Jets and Broncos are splitting the $5.5 million Wilson is due this season with each team paying $2.75 million, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The trade means that only one of the five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2021 draft remains with his original team — Trevor Lawrence, who was picked No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The other four — Wilson, Trey Lance (No. 3 pick), Justin Fields (No. 11) and Mac Jones (No. 15) — have all been traded.
The Jets-Wilson breakup came as no surprise, as the franchise announced Feb. 28 that it had granted him permission to speak to other teams about a potential trade. Wilson wanted a fresh start after three tumultuous seasons, including last year as a backup. The Jets told him as far back as last season that they would try to accommodate him, sources said.
It took longer than expected, leaving Wilson in limbo and prompting him to skip the first week of the Jets’ voluntary offseason program.
The trade leaves Aaron Rodgers, 40, coming off Achilles surgery, and newly signed backup Tyrod Taylor, 34, as the only quarterbacks on the roster. The Jets might draft a quarterback after the first round with the hope of developing him for their post-Rodgers future.
Wilson will be a free agent in 2025 because the Broncos aren’t expected to exercise his fifth-year option for $22.4 million. That decision must be made by May 2. He is due to make $5.45 million in 2024, fully guaranteed, in the final year of his contract.
