Wide receiver Garrett Wilson noncommittal about remaining with Jets long-term

Antwan Staley, New York Daily News on Dec 20, 2024

Published in Football

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NEW YORK — Garrett Wilson called the 2023 season “the worst year” of his life.

Although he has not commented on how he would sum up the current season, Wilson has obviously been disappointed with the Jets’ performance this year.

Gang Green sits at 4-10 and has already been eliminated from playoff contention with three games remaining. Because of that, rumors about Wilson’s future with the team have swirled.

On Thursday, Wilson was asked if he would like to remain with the Jets long-term and the 2022 first-round pick was noncommittal.

“I don’t know, man,” Wilson said. “I just do whatever and go about my day however and be wherever my feet are at. If they do, that would be a blessing and awesome.

“I love the Jets. At the end of the day, they were the ones who believed in me. But yeah, I can’t be worried about all of that. Just finish these three games the right way, but I don’t know. I can’t be looking at all of that right now.”

Wilson never directly answered the question, further fueling speculation that he could leave the organization when his contract expires. He will be eligible for a contract extension after the season. The Jets could also pick up his fifth-year option, which is projected to be around $16.6 million, according to Over the Cap.

Wilson’s outburst during Sunday’s game against the Jaguars certainly didn’t help quiet the rumors about his future. Caught by Fox cameras, Wilson was upset and expressed his frustrations to Jets receivers coach Shawn Jefferson after a drive stalled in the red zone during the third quarter.

Down by six points at the time, the Jets decided to run the ball instead of throwing it his way. The drive ended after Aaron Rodgers was sacked on third down, and the Jets settled for a 43-yard field goal by Anders Carlson. Ultimately, the Jets won the game 32-25, ending their four-game losing streak, but Wilson finished with just three receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown.

In 14 games, Wilson has caught 84 receptions for 933 yards and six touchdowns.

“The cameras always seem to catch me when I’m doing something like that,” Wilson said. “It is, honestly, not that serious. It’s just we’re trying to find what we can do to win the game.

“It might look a certain way, but there’s nothing to really bounce back from. I’m all good. I just may speak on my feelings a little differently than most. That’s all that was, you know.”

Since joining the Jets, Wilson has always been an emotional player who isn’t shy about letting coaches, players, and sometimes reporters, know how he’s feeling.

“He’s an elite competitor, and we have wanted to score touchdowns in the red zone and finish drives, and he saw that he had a one-on-one opportunity, that’s it,” Jets passing game coordinator and offensive play-caller Todd Downing said about Wilson.

“I know it got blown up as a little bit more than that, it truly isn’t. Garrett just wants the ball any time he’s got an opportunity to help score points and it was quickly over and moved on from and he made plays down the stretch, so guys like that that are such high-level competitors, you’d be concerned if they didn’t want the ball.”

Wilson isn’t used to losing on any level. He won a state championship in high school at Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas. At Ohio State, Wilson lost just four games during his three seasons in Columbus and played in the College Football Playoff twice.

But with the Jets, it has been a totally different story. Since Wilson was drafted, the Jets have an 18-30 record with zero playoff appearances. Following Rodgers’ return from his Achilles tear last season, the Jets were the AFC East favorites entering the 2024 season. However, Gang Green will have a new coach and general manager after owner Woody Johnson fired both Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas.

With the regime change, the Jets might also have a new quarterback next year. Wilson declined to discuss whether the new coaching staff and general manager will affect his desire to stay with the Jets long-term.

“At the end of the day, it makes us who we are,” Wilson said about his personality. “I feel like if I didn’t have that, the way about me, I wouldn’t be here right now, and I wouldn’t be in this position, and people wouldn’t care what I say if I wasn’t how I was.

“It comes from the right spot. It might look a certain way on TV, but I don’t think anyone on the sideline is going to be like, ‘we are going to play bad now.’ It’s all good, they know how I am.”