New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson has been the subject of trade rumors since at least January 2024 but could sign an extension with the club at any point this offseason.
Shortly after it was learned on Monday that the Jets plan to replace starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers with Justin Fields, Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated suggested that acquiring Fields could help the Jets convince Wilson to commit his long-term future to the organization.
"Fields played with Garrett Wilson at Ohio State," Orr explained, "which, while likely not one of the top-100 reasons the Jets signed him, is a nice nod to an ascending player who has dealt with the insertion of a mercurial quarterback who struggles to adapt (Rodgers) and the trade for a possible future Hall of Famer who gobbled up his targets (Davante Adams). Bringing in his college teammate likely stymies any early rumblings of dissent."
Wilson often wasn't shy about voicing his displeasure regarding the Jets over his first three NFL seasons. Most recently, he mentioned this past December that he felt the Jets had "a losing problem" or losing "gene" before the club finished the 2024 campaign with a record of 5-12. Around that same time, ESPN Jets insider Rich Cimini and The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt reported that Wilson could request a trade this offseason.
For an article published back on March 3, Rosenblatt shared that Rodgers "funneling targets" to Adams over their 11 games together this season "didn’t go over well with some" unnamed Jets players. Adams recently agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Rams, and Rodgers will likely also have a new football home sooner rather than later.
Per the StatMuse website, Wilson recorded the eighth-most regular-season receptions (279) and 10th-most regular-season receiving yards (3,249) from 2022-24. He also tallied 14 receiving touchdowns over 51 games.
The Jets giving Wilson a friendly face as a QB1 following the absolute failure that was the Rodgers experiment should only benefit the club. With that said, it also shouldn't be forgotten that two different teams have given up on Fields since the end of the 2023 campaign.
Perhaps Wilson won't sign any extension until he sees what Fields is and/or isn't as New York's starter this coming fall.
