The Broncos and Jets are splitting Zach Wilson’s contract in 2024, each paying the quarterback about $2.72 million this season.
The Zach Wilson trade truly is a low-risk move for the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos only gave up a sixth-round draft pick (and they got a seventh-round pick back), and Wilson won’t cost much in 2024.
Wilson is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. Denver and New York have agreed to split his salary this year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Compensation update on Zach Wilson trade: Jets and Broncos are splitting the $5.5 million that is due Wilson this season: Jets are paying $2.75 million and the Broncos are paying $2.75 million.
Schefter’s math does not seem to completely check out. It’s possible he just rounded up to $5.5 million and split that in half to get $2.75 million.
If OverTheCap.com’s figures are accurate, the actual number is $5,453,274. Split in half, that would be $2,726,637 paid by each of the Broncos and Jets in 2024 (for what it’s worth, that’s the number listed on Spotrac.com).
Bringing in (Zach) Wilson was a low-cost move for Denver to acquire a 24-year-old quarterback with some upside. Even if he’s nothing more than a backup for the Broncos, the trade makes sense.
As things stand now, Wilson is set to compete with Jarrett Stidham for the starting quarterback job this summer. How the trade impacts the team’s draft plans remains to be seen.
Logically, it would be reasonable to assume the Broncos are now less likely to select a quarterback when they go on the clock with pick No. 12 in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday evening. That’s just an assumption, though.
Apparently, the Wilson trade will not deter the team’s efforts to trade up for a top quarterback prospect in this year’s class.
“Expect the Broncos to continue working behind the scenes to see if they have enough to move up in the draft for a QB, otherwise all other options are on the table,” Dianna Russini of The Athletictweeted on Monday.
It remains to be seen which quarterback(s) Denver might be targeting in a potential trade, but the Broncos obviously view those top rookie prospects as more promising options than Wilson.
What remains to be seen is whether or not Denver feels Bo Nix (24) or Michael Penix (23) is still worth drafting after the team acquired Wilson (24). He hasn’t lived up to his pre-draft hype, but Wilson still has potential.
Using deductive reasoning, it seems fair to assume the Broncos will still move up for a top QB if the price is right, but the team won’t reach for a quarterback at No. 12 after landing Wilson. Right now, all we can do is speculate. We’ll get answers when the draft begins on Thursday.
Zach Wilson trade: Looking back on Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence’s QB class
Eight quarterbacks were selected in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL draft, a record that has held up over the two selection ceremonies since.
Following Zach Wilson’s reported trade from New York, who took the former Brigham Young passer with the No. 2 pick that year, to Denver on Monday, just three of those signal-callers remain with their original squads.
Of those three, only one actively starts for their team and is on a path toward a long-term contract extension: Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence.
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Apr 29, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft at First Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Additionally, Kyle Trask, the No. 64 overall pick in the second round, is still with Tampa Bay, and Davis Mills, the No. 67 selection in the third round, remains on Houston’s roster.
Mills started 26 games over his first two seasons but was replaced by eventual AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year, C.J. Stroud, in 2023. Trask has appeared in just three career contests and backs Baker Mayfield up on the Buccaneers’ depth chart.
Wilson’s exit from the Big Apple marks the fourth instance of teams abandoning their 2021 quarterback of choice in the last eight months.
Since August, San Francisco has traded Trey Lance (No. 3 overall) to Dallas, Chicago has traded Justin Fields (No. 11) to Pittsburgh, and New England has traded Mac Jones (No. 15) to Jacksonville, each in exchange for Day 3 picks. The Jets and Broncos swapped late-round picks in Wilson’s trade.
Mond (No. 66) was waived by Minnesota in 2022.
Meanwhile, Lawrence enters his fourth season with Jacksonville in 2024, having started every game in which he’s been available along the way, making him the lone first-round quarterback from 2021 who continues to play for his drafted team.
Although the most recent campaign had a disappointing finish with the Jaguars falling out of playoff contention in Week 18, the club completed its first set of consecutive winning seasons since 2004-05 with Lawrence under center in 2023. It went 9-8 in back-to-back years.
Accordingly, Jacksonville’s front office — a contingent including general manager Trent Baalke, head coach Doug Pederson and owner Shad Khan — has engaged in discussions about a contract extension with Lawrence and his representatives this offseason.
“I’d love to obviously be a Jag, for as long as possible,” Lawrence said on April 16. “We love it here and I love where we’re headed as an organization and feel like I’m just getting better every year. My best ball is definitely ahead of me.”
In 50 regular season games with the Jaguars, Lawrence has completed 63.8% of his passing attempts for 11,770 yards with 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He’s added 964 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
For fun but meaningless comparison, the seven other passers drafted through the third round in 2021 have combined for 28,665 passing yards, 149 passing touchdowns and 119 interceptions in 162 appearances.
The Jets are trading Zach Wilson to the Broncos, swapping Day 3 picks in the draft
The Zach Wilson era is finally over. After weeks of trying to find a trade partner, the Jets get a deal done before the draft this week. They are sending Wilson to the Denver Broncos in a late-round pick swap.
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Former #Jets starting QB and No. 2 pick Zach Wilson is on the move. Sources say he’s being traded to the #Broncos, hoping for a fresh start.
The deal includes a late-round pick swap (6th for a 7th) and NYJ will pay some of Wilson’s roughly $5.5M salary. pic.twitter.com/7Y1KShZ3sg
As expected, the Jets are also attaching a draft pick to help facilitate the trade. The Jets are sending a seventh-round pick (No. 256) to Denver and will pick up a sixth in return (No. 203). The Jets are also expected to pay a large portion of Wilson’s $5.7 million compensation for this season.
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Ultimately, the Jets get a win by being able to get something for Wilson. They essentially move up 50 spots in the draft, going from 256 to 203, and are able to save some cap space – even if they are eating some of Wilson’s salary.
Wilson, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was thrust into action as a rookie and things just never panned out for him. 2023 was supposed to be the year he could sit and learn behind Aaron Rodgers, but then Rodgers’ Achilles injury happened in Week 1, Wilson went back into the lineup and the offense took an expected nosedive.
Wilson was also benched in each of the last two seasons and was seemingly losing a ton of confidence. Now he gets a chance to resurrect himself in Denver, who are still likely to address the position at some point during the draft, perhaps even in the first round.
The Jets now have picks 10, 72, 111, 134, 185, 203 and 257.
Sean Payton must think he can turn Zach Wilson into an NFL quarterback
The Denver Broncos must be stuck on quarterbacks with the last name “Wilson.”
After a disastrous run following the acquisition of Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks, Denver on Monday acquired Zach Wilson from the New York Jets.
The Broncos now have Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci in their QB room. Will they add another? https://t.co/waZCa9qgMm
The Broncos are trading a 6th-round pick to the Jets in exchange for QB Zach Wilson and a 7th-round pick.
The Denver Broncos have agreed to trade a sixth-round draft pick (No. 203) to the New York Jets in exchange for quarterback Zach Wilson and a seventh-round pick (No. 256), according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The compensation makes it a low-risk move for the Broncos. At worst, they got a backup quarterback by dropping from the sixth to the seventh round. At best, they got a young quarterback who still has potential to improve.
Wilson (6-2, 214 pounds) entered the league as the second overall pick out of BYU in the 2021 NFL draft. He started 33 games in New York, completing 57% of his passes for 6,293 yards 23 touchdowns against 25 interceptions. The Jets will now move forward with Aaron Rodgers.
Wilson is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. Before the trade, he was set to have a salary cap hit of $11.18 million in 2024. The Jets agreed to split his guaranteed camp roster bonus ($4.39 million), according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. It remains to be seen how all of the financial details will break down, but Denver won’t have to pay all of the QB’s contract.
Wilson (24) will join a Broncos quarterback room that already features Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci. Denver coach Sean Payton said earlier this offseason that Stidham will get an opportunity to compete for the starting job this summer.
It remains to be seen if the Broncos will still select a rookie quarterback in the NFL draft later this week. Denver holds eight draft picks, including the 12th overall pick in the first round on Thursday evening.
Jets remain open to trading Zach Wilson, who is skipping voluntary workouts
Zach Wilson is still a quarterback for the New York Jets…for now. It still remains a question of “when” not “if” the Jets will trade the former No. 2 overall pick.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas met with the media for his pre-draft press conference Friday and was asked about the status of Wilson. Douglas called Wilson an “asset” but that the team remains open to trading Wilson and that “there have been discussions.”
Wilson is currently skipping the voluntary workouts as he and the Jets remain in limbo over the trade discussions.
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There are a couple factors that are making trading Wilson a little more difficult for the Jets. First, many quarterback situations and even backup situations have been settled across the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers added both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the Arizona Cardinals acquired Desmond Ridder to back up Kyler Murray and Buffalo brought back Mitch Trubisky as Josh Allen’s understudy, just to name a few.
Another obstacle is Wilson $5.45 million in fully guaranteed compensation, including a $4.3 million roster bonus due at the start of training camp. The Jets will either have to eat some of that money or attach a draft pick in order to facilitate a trade. If the Jets simply cut Wilson, they see no cap relief at all. But that may be an option the Jets ultimately have to take.
Whether it’s before, during or after the draft next week, one thing seems pretty certain: Wilson isn’t going to be a Jet much longer. The Jets have Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor on the roster and Douglas talked about wanting to have a “quarterback factory” like the Green Bay Packers of the 1990’s. That could lead to believe the Jets will take a quarterback later in the draft (Jordan Travis? Michael Pratt? Devin Leary?).
It’s just a matter of time at this point. Wilson is no longer part of that factory.
The New Orleans Saints were suggested as a good fit for New York Jets draft bust Zach Wilson. But they shouldn’t trade anything for him:
Where will Zach Wilson play football in 2024? The New York Jets draft bust has been given permission to look for a trade partner, but there haven’t been many takers. With other former first-round quarterbacks changing teams it feels like only a matter of time until Wilson ejects.
It just might be difficult for him to find a parachute first. Throwing 25 interceptions in 33 starts will do a lot to turn off suitors. Despite that, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin argues that the New Orleans Saints could be interested in Wilson’s services, writing:
There isn’t exactly a strong market for a former top-three pick whose erratic quarterbacking resulted in multiple demotions, but at just 24 with dual-threat traits, Wilson could be a low-risk reclamation project for a contender. The return would almost certainly not exceed that which the Bears or Patriots got for Justin Fields and Mac Jones, respectively. But one thing’s for sure: The Jets have had their fill, with the aging but superior Aaron Rodgers once again back in the saddle.
There are some coaches on staff Wilson knows well like John Benton, the former Jets offensive line coach, and Wilson wouldn’t face as much pressure competing with Jake Haener to back up Derek Carr. He’d be more competitive in that role than Nathan Peterman will be.
But is it worth trading anything for him? Probably not. If the vision is for Haener to knock down whatever punching bag the Saints set in front of him, it makes more sense to sign a player like Peterman on a non-guaranteed minimum salary than to invest draft capital in Wilson (even if it’s nothing more than a late-round pick). And there’s the possibility of Wilson being released outright. If that comes to pass, then it’s worth seeing if Wilson is willing to match Peterman’s modest salary.
A handful of quarterbacks from the first round of the 2021 NFL draft could be primed for a Baker Mayfield bounce-back in 2024
Baker Mayfield’s football journey has been well documented, from college walk-on to Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, to being released and bouncing between three teams in two years.
The most recent chapter in that story was a return to greatness, as Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his NFL career last year after signing a cheap one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There are multiple quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL draft class who could be primed for a similar bounce-back after experienced the same kind of rocky start to their respective NFL careers, and Rich Eisen recently discussed which of them could make that kind of comeback with a new team:
Woody Johnson had a little change of heart when it comes to quarterback Zach Wilson.
The saga surrounding the New York Jets and a potential trade of quarterback Zach Wilson took another interesting turn Monday from the mouth of owner Woody Johnson.
Speaking to reporters at the Annual League Meeting in Orlando, Johnson was asked about Wilson and called him a “valuable asset”. Johnson did also note that a change of scenery could benefit Wilson but said the team will keep Wilson if they cannot find a trade partner. They will not straight release him. “If we don’t trade him, we will keep him,” Johnson said. The Jets get no cap relief from cutting Wilson. Trading him would shift his $5.5 million in 2024 compensation to the acquiring team, unless the Jets agree to take on some of the money themselves.
Johnson’s comments are him essentially walking back his comments last month at the NFL Honors about Wilson in which he said the Jets “didn’t have a backup quarterback last year.” The comes as the options of teams for the Jets to trade Wilson to are dwindling fast.
Among the moves made involving likely backup quarterbacks include the Arizona Cardinals trading for Desmond Ridder from the Atlanta Falcons and Mitch Trubisky going back to the Buffalo Bills after a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who now have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
“I feel badly about Zach in some ways because last year it would’ve been a great — it would’ve been the first time he could just sit back and watch a master at work, and he’s never had that,” Johnson said. “He’s been in the fire from Day 1, and I think that’s what he needs. He needs to be in a place where he can observe for a while. He’s got the skill. He can do everything. There’s a reason we drafted him No. 2 overall, and I have confidence that he’ll get there at some point.”
The Jets are still expected to tinker with the quarterback room, perhaps taking one on the third day of the draft in April. The team signed Tyrod Taylor to back up Aaron Rodgers this season. General manager Joe Douglas also said during the Scouting Combine he has given Wilson’s representation permission to seek a trade.
Douglas also said Monday in Orlando there have been talks with teams regarding Wilson but “nothing is close”.
