Tag: zach wilson contract

Jets QB Zach Wilson talks introduction to NFL’s business side

Zach Wilson debuted at camp after contract negotiations delayed the start of his summer. The Jets QB spoke about football’s business side.

When the Jets kicked off training camp practices on Wednesday, Zach Wilson was nowhere to be found. Instead of suiting up at One Jets Drive, he was in Los Angeles, getting a glimpse at the business side of football.

Wilson missed New York’s first two training camp practices as his representation and Joe Douglas worked out the kinks of his rookie contract. After prolonged negotiations, Wilson received the upfront, non-deferred signing bonus his reps desired, while the Jets included the same offset language that was written into Sam Darnold’s rookie deal in 2018.

New York’s prized rookie quarterback made his training camp debut on Friday in forgettable fashion, struggling to consistently complete passes after opening the day with an impressive deep ball to Elijah Moore. His first camp performance aside, Wilson was just happy to be back between the white lines after receiving his introduction to an aspect of football that never previously concerned him.

“Now money’s involved,” Wilson said. “My whole life I just wanted to play ball because I love the game. I wanted to get the business done so I could do what I love.”

Wilson went on to say that his girlfriend said she forgot that the quarterback will make money now that he’s a pro. “That’s cause the best part of it is the game,” Wilson told her.

The Jets would have liked to have Wilson on the field to begin training camp, but two missed practices are not going to do much to harm the BYU product’s development. Darnold missed three in 2018 and still won the starting job.

Wilson looked good throughout the spring and while his play on Friday left a lot to be desired, that can be chalked up to typical rookie struggles more than the contract negotiations that kept him sidelined.

With those negotiations now ancient history, Wilson is not planning on giving too much attention to his financials as he prepares for the beginning of his rookie season against the Panthers in Week 1. The 21-year-old will be $22.9 million richer once he receives his signing bonus within the next two weeks, but that money won’t bring him any closer to his ultimate goal with the Jets.

“You can’t buy a Super Bowl,” Wilson responded when asked what he plans to purchase with his new wealth, “so we’ll work for one of those.”

[listicle id=662805]

Jets’ inability to get QB Zach Wilson under contract looks like a massive failure

The Jets’ stalemate with rookie quarterback Zach Wilson looks more and more like a real problem.

The New York Jets have a lot of ground to cover before they’re going to be competitive again. The franchise hasn’t had a winning season since 2015, there’s been no postseason since 2010 (the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez days), and there’s the matter of getting the usual waste job that happens when you hire now-former head coach Adam Gase to do whatever it is that he does. With new head coach Robert Saleh and new offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur in charge along with general manager Joe Douglas, it seemed that the Jets were at least pointing in the right direction for 2021 and beyond. Saleh learned a lot on in his stints with the 49ers and Seahawks, and LaFleur is one of the brighter minds in the game.

However… the team’s inability to come to terms with second overall pick Zach Wilson in an age when draft pick contracts are slotted is a really bad look. Why the hold-up? It’s not money; it’s contract language. As ESPN’s Rich Cimini points out, the issue is offset language. The team would like financial protection if it cuts Wilson before his four-year, $35.2 million contract runs out, while Wilson and his representatives would obviously prefer that the discussion goes in a different direction.

There’s also apparently the issue of the $32 million signing bonus attached to Wilson’s contract. The team would like to avoid paying the whole thing upfront as it did in the first 15 days of Sam Darnold’s contract back in 2018, when Darnold was the third overall pick. The Jets offloaded Darnold to the Panthers in April when it was clear that they were going in a different direction at the quarterback position.

All well and good, but without a credible veteran quarterback on the roster, the Jets are missing time with their new guy under center (reps with his teammates that Wilson clearly needs). Not a great look as training camp gets underway, and rookies have just three preseason games in which to get their stuff together. Wilson is the only first-round pick not under contract at this point. And right now, the Jets are practicing with Mike White, a former Cowboys fifth-round pick who has never taken an NFL regular-season snap.

“Joe [Douglas] is dealing with it,” Saleh said after Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously, from a business side of it there’s a lot of things that come into play. Like I said, Joe has a great handle on it. Again, when he signs, he signs. There are 89 other guys that deserve our attention and that’s where all our focus is right now.”

So… when do the Jets think they need Wilson in the fold?

“Ask me again tomorrow,” Saleh said.

There are not many tomorrows when getting Wilson ready for the rigors of the NFL, and time is ticking quickly. There’s no question about Wilson’s raw talent, but given his YOLO style that brings Baker Mayfield to mind, it will take time to work out the kinks.