Zach Wilson‘s time in New York is set to come to an end. The Jets have found a trade partner for the former No. 2 pick in the form of the Broncos. 
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Jets will send Wilson to Denver as part of a Day 3 pick swap. The teams will exchange sixth- and seventh-round picks, with New York acquiring No. 203 and the Broncos adding Wilson and No. 256. Both clubs will evenly split Wilson’s $5.45MM in 2024 compensation, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes this agreement has been in the works “for weeks.” The Broncos have long been linked to a quarterback addition this offseason, with Russell Wilson unsurprisingly being released. That move left a vacancy under center, but in the lead-in to the draft Jarrett Stidham was in place atop the depth chart. That will remain the case for the time being, but Wilson represents a young depth option for Denver. One year remains on the latter’s rookie contract.
Having failed to secure a long-term answer under center with Sam Darnold, the Jets selected Wilson second overall in 2021. That made him one of five first-round QBs that year, but only one (Trevor Lawrence) is still with his original team. Wilson – who logged 33 starts in three seasons as a Jet – joins Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones in having been dealt at a fraction of the cost relative to the draft capital used in their selection.
Following a rookie season in which Wilson struggled with accuracy and turnovers, he did not progress as hoped in Year 2. The 24-year-old was limited to nine contests in 2022 and saw Mike White take over as New York’s starter. That led to an aggressive pursuit of Aaron Rodgers last offseason, and while his Achilles tear prompted Wilson to once again see game action, things did not go as planned. Wilson in particular and the Jets’ offense as a whole struggled mightily.
As a result, it came as no surprise when the BYU alum was given permission to seek out a trade partner. Wilson’s cap charge ($11.1MM) and poor play hindered his value, and as expected the Jets have needed to attach draft capital to him to land a pick in return. Considering the gap between when New York began fielding offers and today’s agreement being reached, this marks a miniscule (but nevertheless expected) price from the Jets’ perspective.
New York has Rodgers and veteran backup Tyrod Taylor on the books, but the team could use the upcoming draft to add a developmental third option. Denver, meanwhile, will add Wilson to a depth chart featuring Stidham and Ben DiNucci. The lack of proven passers has led to considerable speculation tying the Broncos to an aggressive trade up the board for a first-round quarterback. Head coach Sean Payton himself is believed to be on board with such a move.
This deal has not tangibly taken away the draft capital which would be needed for Denver to move into the top five or top 10 in the first-round order. With Wilson in place, though, Payton has a depth signal-caller to work with for at least the 2024 campaign. Where Wilson slots on the Broncos’ depth chart following the draft – and as such the opportunities for playing time he receives in the Mile High City – will be interesting to watch.
This is the return the Jets were holding out for?
Yes, because the other offers were probably way less.
Thank you for the explanation
My question for Broncos is why?
Lucky they even got that….
Rumor has it that the Broncos also threw in some Rocky Mountain Oysters, but the NY media is to posh to comprehend such value.
It’s better than the jock strap offers they were probably getting.
Used
There were concerns they would have to offer a pick to get someone to take on his $11 million cap hit. The best solution was for them to absorb the cap hit to get anything for him.
No one was going to have to take the full cap hit. The Jets were always going to be on the hook for half of it. Splitting the remainder with Denver instead of releasing him leaves the Jets with a little more leeway to sign their draft class.
Uh, yeah? Because we actually get something for him this way instead of just outright releasing him? Seems like a no brainer.
Plus saves $2.6 million in cap
Any Wilson trade is addition by subtraction
Juicy
Paying for Broncos to take em, slick
If it saves the Jets any of the money they would have had to eat by releasing Wilson, then mission accomplished.
This could be a Wilson that Sean Payton could work with.
Also get to move up 53 draft slots which isn’t nothing.
And still get to hold onto Mr. Irrelevant!
Russell Wilson couldn’t process Paytons offense fast enough and he thinks Wilson can? That’s hilarious. What a waste of a 6th rounder.
They are sliding down 53 spots in the 6th round. For a team with no obvious answer at QB, this is absolutely worth the gamble.
The chances of Wilson amounting to anything at this point are pretty much zero, but I still agree with you.
Gambling on the microscopic chance he pans out with a change of scenery is still worth moving down that late in the draft.
there is still some opportunity cost. Having him around probably means one less undrafted free agent qb in training camp, and some of those guys do pan out. The odds of that happening are low, but so are the odds of Wilson every becoming useful.
Zach Wilson still has more raw arm talent than any QB going after the 4th round in this draft. If you are playing percentages, its is much more likely Zach turns into a high-end backup than some random 6th rounder or UDFA. There are half a dozen QBs taken late every year, and none of them since this century except Tom Brady and Brock Purdy have been exceptional. You have Marc Bulger in 2000, and Cassel and Fitz in 2005 – but it took them years to develop into anything. Wilson is also relatively cheap for a backup for this year.
He’s going to wear #3 and save the team store some serious cash.
Zach Wilson wore #2 in green and white. Expect him to wear #2 in Denver’s revised unis which the Broncos announced prior to the trade.
Dude – it was a joke being made about the useless Russ jerseys, lighten up
Sorry, but Surtain isn’t giving up his number to Wilson
Unless of course, they trade Surtain as part of a move into the top 4.
Wooooosh
Lutz already snagged 3 unfortunately lol
Well…Wilson did wear #1 while at BYU. Just sayin’
Wilson had better get acclimated to the thin air of high altitude or he might struggle with his signature play of running 20 yards backwards when pressured.
So says a hater who didn’t see the Jets win at Denver in 2023 and 2022, both times with Zach Wilson under center.
The Jets have another date with Denver this fall but it’s at MetLife Stadium.
I’m a Jets fan who watched every single game he’s played in the NFL and I would say my enduring memory of him will be all the times he took long sacks because he ran backwards from pressure. He’s off the team now. We don’t have to cherry pick the moments of competence to hold out hope anymore.
It’s funny, because as amusing (and accurate) as your post is, I can’t help but see Bo Nix in that same role. It wasn’t as bad at Oregon of course, but Auburn Nix had a lot of those “stop drifting backwards in the pocket, please-oh, now he’s running” moments.
I’m impressed by how much Nix matured at Oregon. I believe in him more than Penix as a pro.
I’m a Jets fan just as Oof is and I agree with him. Those two wins are a microscopic sample size and mean nothing.
He also didn’t exactly carry those wins on his back.
He’s from Utah
Yeah, but he barely faced pressure there
Speaking of Nix and Penix, they may still draft one or the other. Ravens on the outside looking in for a tackle at 30. Penix or Nix projected early 2nd round. Ravens send their 30 and 2nd 4th rounder and Broncos their send 12 and 3rd 5th rounder
Higher elevation was my point
WOW, shocked there were.ablw to get anything in return!!! Many thought they would have to give up picks to get someone to take Wilson!!
Cut 1 awful qb named Wilson just to trade for a different qb named Wilson that’s just as awful or even worse!
Awful!? Yep, most likely, but definitely feels like a panic move for sure.
Getting closer and closer to the draft, GM Paton was striking out on finding a trade partner to move up the board to be able to snag their preferred QB so he opted for plan B?
What a great mentor to bring on board for whomever the Broncos trade up for.
Honestly…. No idea why the broncos do this
Payton did this to try and succeed somewhere, somehow, with something that Hackett couldn’t.
So the Broncos are acquiring Wilson and moving down and taking on salary when they are already in salary cap hell?
Common misconception amongst non Denver fans. We’re actually not in cap hell one bit anymore.
thank you for clarifying that.
So the Broncos are acquiring Wilson and moving down?
Basically, only moving down 53 slots and more often than not late picks don’t equate to much. Just a low flier option to see if wilson has anything, low risk but high reward if he equates to anything.
Good move jetplanes. Little curious on denvers part. Maybe it gives him some breathing room and he can develop. I felt bad for that kid, never really had a chance in NY. (In terms of offensive line).
I was hoping to see some sort of event that lead to Wilson starting for the jets again though. Lol.
Its a move that should have happened a year ago.
Before or after Rodgers tore his Achilles?
Before. Should have signed Flacco as the BU.
Might just help Zach with less aggressive media and/or fan expectations. Moving from Pac12 to the NFL isn’t always easy and landing in NY where every ‘shark’ focuses on any mistake can be a jolt to a youngsters confidence.
Do hope this move helps his growth even as he’s now in the AFC West residing where the team I support operates. Payton might have the keys to unlock his potential, or not, yet the cost isn’t prohibitive and Denver has a somewhat better O-line and could use their draft choices positively without ‘reaching’ or “mortgaging the future” as has been speculated!
He’ll be under a lot more scrutiny in Denver where expectations are always high. 3 of the 4 Denver news stations have the trade as their lead story as this is posted (1:45 PM MDT on 4/22).
Football is newsworthy this time of the season. As evidenced by where all us ‘posters’ sit on a Monday.
NYC tabloids are defanged and local news stations don’t see local sports as a priority.
McCarthy = Wilson + Stidham = Dead last.
Shrewd move to compensate for the huge dead money hit by saving some money on jerseys!
Russell Wilson wore #3. Zach Wilson wore #2. Plus the Broncos just introduced new unis with a different number font.
The Broncos — or should it be the Donkos? — ain’t saving nothing.
Well that’s a different take on “mortgaging the future” for sure
I’m seeing an obvious trend… next year’s Broncos QB will be Owen Wilson.
Maybe Mookie can do it in his 60s.
probably better than Zach.
I suppose the upside of this for Denver is that they may less inclined to give up something of great value for a quarterback in the draft? I still think that their optimal move would have been to trade back from 12, draft Rattler in the second, and pick other areas of need (safety, edge rusher, tight end, or tackle to replace Bolles come to mind).
Imagine how Denver fans felt hearing their team was working out a QB trade only to find out it was Zach Wilson. That’s like getting coal in your stocking…
I have so many questions … and they all stem from “Why Doesn’t This Site Have Laughing Emojis???”
Rattler is 3rd round or later pick. Yeah he was a ten star recruit, but nothing he did in college says he could be a starting QB in the NFL. Why trade back and then reach for a QB?
You didn’t watch him in his final season at S.C., then. He played with what was very conservatively one of the worst offensive lines in football, with no running backs (their lead back was a former quarterback and wide receiver), and one real reliable pass catcher in Legette.
Despite all that, he almost entirely eliminated his panic throws, directed the offense, threw with accuracy and power, showed scrambling ability, and had a calm pocket presence. Rattler definitely improved exponentially in his last year, and was much more mature than his almost brat-like early years where his on field presence was just as questionable as his decision making. Unfortunately, S.C. fielded a painfully bad offense, and lost several games that would have improved his (and their) standing.
Also, a third is hardly what would qualify as a “reach”. Would you rather trade up for another uncertain, but much more expensive, quarterback.
Now it’s a certain they’re taking a first rounder QB. Zach, DiNucci and Stidham DOES NOT inspire confidence hahah
It moves them up 53 spots, that seems like a reasonably good swap in a petty deep draft.
Haha…..way to go Bronco’s, how desperate are they, this is their big move for a veteran QB….pathetic
The Broncos noticed Wilson has a 105.2 passer rating against the Chiefs and figured the price was right to take a flyer.
guess that rodgers mentorship didn’t work out so well .. packers still ecstatic he refused to help love
I dunno, Love sometimes looks exactly like Rodgers on a few throws, even in his trademark side slinging sort of stance. I can’t say whether Love and Rodgers worked on those mechanics in detail, but Love definitely learned from Rodgers in his time there.
Went from everything positive Wilson, to Mylf chaser Wilson
Zach is similar stature to Drew Brees…but you can’t fix stupid. Zach does not play the position with a lot of knowledge.
I expect them to still draft a guy. Payton is going to quit in a couple of seasons because KC not going anywhere. If Harbaugh makes Chargers a playoff contender that is another team consistently better.
Is he gonna wear the former Wilson’s old jersey too? Or is Coach/GM/CEO Payton putting the #9 on him, changing his name to Breeze and hoping he turns into an actual NFL QB?
Seems like the Broncos finally see the light – they are bankrupt in terms of draft picks and cap space. 2024 is going to be ugly…
I wish Wilson well. He never has an offensive line, only 1 WR, and two terrible offensive coordinators.
Baker 2.0? Lol maybe
I’d settle for more consistent than Keenum.
Awesome, now do a turbo cringy Subway commercial!
Let’s Ride!!
Rodgers must’ve told Jets brass this kid doesn’t have what it takes.
If given the proper opportunity this kid will do better in Denver than NY , they have a better OL , receivers, coaching . BTW if you look at his college stats they are in line or better than the top 5 QB’s that are projected to be taken in this yrs draft . Either that is not saying much about his stats or not so much about the 5 top QB’s this yr?
He’ll sit and learn from Gucci Dinucci…
I remember 2021:
This QB class is epic. 5 super-stars in the top 15.
Literally just 3 years later:
Hey, at least we still have Trevor Lawrence. I think!!!!!
How funny would it be if the Broncos miss out on a top QB in the draft, go into next year with Wilson and Stidham. Wilson wins the job and starts lighting it up in Denver. Would be so Jets!!!!!!!!