ARLINGTON, Texas — Zach Wilson was thrown to the wolves long before he knew how to be an NFL quarterback.
New York is quick to remind you that smiles are often just frowns on the team’s wide-eyed faces.
So when Wilson stopped loving the game as much as he did at BYU, he was eaten alive, especially emotionally, chewed up and spat out in two years of hell.
Enter Aaron Rodgers.
Aaron Rodgers exited Monday night.
Now, look who’s back on the field for the Cowboys.
Rogers touched everyone in the building, none more than Wilson. For six precious months, Rodgers selflessly served as Wilson’s Hall of Fame mentor and poured his wealth of quarterback knowledge and wisdom into him. Wilson is the happiest backup in football.
This week in Dallas will be Wilson’s first real chance to change the narrative of his career and start crafting a redemption story that will have Rodgers rooting for him and smiling like a proud big brother.
While Wilson has shown tremendous growth on the field and in the locker room, he hasn’t fully matured yet, and coordinator Dan Quinn has been greedy under Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys defense will likely be a bridge too far. for him.
No one should have expected miracles when Wilson was the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, and they shouldn’t expect miracles now. He’s not Aaron Rodgers. But maybe he can start to become the Zach Wilson that general manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh dreamed of when they decided to move on from Sam Darnold.
“He’s starting to look like the Zach I know and starting to perform that way,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake told The Washington Post. “One thing I know, with support, love and faith, that kid will flourish. I’ve seen him do it.”
Jets fans haven’t seen him do that.
“I know there’s a lot of people criticizing him. … I’m just telling you, give this kid a chance, man. Give the kid a chance,” Sitake said. “He’s talented, he’s gifted. He needs some guidance, he needs faith and trust, and I guarantee you he will deliver.”
Rodgers, along with Nathaniel Hackett (an experienced offensive coordinator Wilson never had), helped rebuild his confidence.
“It’s always difficult when you have such high expectations and you want to try to achieve it more than anything,” Sitake said. “Maybe it takes you away from yourself and your identity.”
Fox NFL analyst Mark Sanchez noticed a different Wilson during his visit to training camp.
“This is a white-hot spotlight, and it’s going to get warmer,” Sanchez told The Washington Post. “He’s got that feeling. He just looks a little lighter. And then it picks up again. Hopefully he enjoys the break and is ready to come back.”
Wilson has heard his teammates and coaches praise him and express their belief in him, but starting today, it will be his responsibility to make sure it’s more than just lip service.
“I like what his coaches are saying, I like what his teammates are saying,” Sitake said. “If what they’re saying is correct, I’ll be excited to see what he does on Sunday.”
The defense will keep the Jets consistent in every game. The question is whether Wilson can do it. The Cowboys didn’t dare let Rodgers beat them. They will dare Wilson to defeat them.
“I hope they have a plan, and I know we have a plan, man,” Garrett Wilson told The Washington Post. “If they want to do it, I’m confident Zach will handle it and do it. I’m confident that whatever route they ask us to take, we can do it and we can handle it.”
Zach Wilson should have learned the hard way by now that playing hero ball is just for desperation late in the game.
“He’s so aggressive and competitive that sometimes in zone coverage, when you’re not doing well, it’s hard for him to just check the ball and move on to the next play,” Sanchez said. “At this position. , judgment or insight is the hardest thing to do. It’s really just impulse control… Sometimes you have to lose the battle to win the war.”
For Hackett, advising Wilson to manage games rather than try not to lose could backfire. “You can’t coach a quarterback like that,” Sanchez said. But situational reminders and keeping Wilson comfortable are crucial.
“At some point, he has to win a few games,” Sanchez said. “I’m not saying he can go 55 miles an hour in the center lane and drive forever. At some point, there’s a traffic jam and there’s an empty stretch of highway where he can open up the gas a little bit. He It must be someone who can solve this problem.”
Wilson’s college coach still believes he will one day.
“I see this kid proving a lot of people wrong,” Sitake said.
Sunday, against all odds, will be a good day for Zach Wilson to start proving the Jets are right.
