The New York Jets have traded quarterback Zach Wilson and a seventh-round pick to the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos announced the deal on Tuesday, confirming multiple reports on Monday.
The Jets will receive a sixth-round pick in return and It will reportedly pay a portion of Wilson's $5.5 million salary Next season.
Wilson joins the Broncos after three unsuccessful seasons in New York. The Jets selected Wilson with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft with hopes he can develop into the long-awaited quarterback. Instead, he was repeatedly benched due to poor play in his first two seasons before the Jets moved to acquire Aaron Rodgers before the 2023 season.
Wilson got another shot at starting when Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on his first drive as New York's starting quarterback. He continued to struggle through 11 games in 2023 as the Jets finished a disappointing 7-10 and fell out of the playoffs. Now he has a new home.
Will Wilson compete for a starting job in Denver?
Wilson joins the Broncos amid their own quarterback chaos. After two failed seasons, Denver has delved into the Russell Wilson experiment this offseason. The Broncos released Wilson in March, a decision that came with an $85 million salary cap hit over the next two seasons. It also left the Broncos without a viable quarterback on the roster.
Wilson's exit has elevated Jarrett Stidham to the top of Denver's depth chart. The four-year NFL veteran has four career starts. During a career that included 16 games with three teams, he completed 59.6% of his passes for 7.2 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Wilson arrives with much more experience at first. This experience does not inspire confidence that the Broncos are any closer to discovering their quarterback problems.
In 34 career games, including 33 starts, Wilson has completed 57% of his passes for 6.3 yards per attempt and 185.1 yards per game with 23 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. The Jets went 12-21 in games he started. He was the weak link on a 2023 team with a top-3 defense and two playmakers on an offense that was expected to compete for the AFC East through efficient quarterback play.
Instead of making an offseason move to improve the position, the Jets stuck with Wilson for most of the season en route to a third-place finish in the AFC East of the playoffs.
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For now, Wilson plans to compete for the starting job in Denver next season. Practice squad quarterback Ben DiNucci was the only Broncos' quarterback under contract other than Stidham before Wilson arrived.
For the Broncos, Wilson is a low-risk acquisition via a late draft swap. If he doesn't develop, the Broncos don't have much to lose. But Broncos fans holding out hope for a competitive team in 2024 are still waiting for the franchise to make a significant move at quarterback.
Thursday's NFL Draft will be Denver's best opportunity to address this situation further. The Broncos hold the No. 12 pick, but will likely have to move up to acquire a potential quarterback in the draft.
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