Aaron Rodgers says he still has relationship with Zach Wilson ahead of Jets-Broncos game

NEW YORK — The Jets will see a familiar face on the sideline when they host the Broncos on Sunday.

Zach Wilson, who quarterbacked Gang Green for three seasons, was acquired in a trade last April and is now Denver’s third-string quarterback.

After working closely with Wilson for a season, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers says he still maintains a relationship with Wilson.

“I still keep tabs on him and keep in touch with him here and there,” Rodgers said. “I love Zach and always looked at him, you know, like a little brother. … I enjoyed our time together on and off the field, and I wish him a lot of success.

“I was really happy for him the way he finished that preseason. And, you know, I think this would be a good year for him to kind of reset and then hopefully he gets an opportunity down the road.”

Wilson was selected second overall by the Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft and was expected to be the team’s franchise quarterback. However, Wilson was shipped out of town following three tumultuous seasons, which included multiple benchings and the acquisition of Rodgers before the 2023 season.

After acquiring Rodgers, the Jets wanted Wilson’s 2023 season to be a reset. However, after Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear four plays into the Jets’ season opener, Wilson again became the starting QB. But after erratic play, just like in previous seasons, Wilson was benched before being forced back into the starting role again late in the season after the team decided Tim Boyle wasn’t the answer either.

Following Rodgers’ injury, the relationship between him and Wilson “soured,” according to a report by The Athletic last January. Wilson’s final game with the Jets was a 30-0 loss, during which he left the game due to a concussion. He missed the final three games of last season after being placed in concussion protocol.

In 34 games for the Jets, Wilson had a 12-21 record as a starter. He threw more interceptions (25) than touchdown passes (23) and completed only 57% of his passes.

“I still stand here and believe that he’s going to have a hell of a career and he’s going to get an opportunity and be a very successful quarterback in this league,” Saleh said about Wilson.

“You know, sometimes they’re just, like I said, you’re, you get thrown in the fire and you’re trying to learn and, but there’s no patience for learning. You know, it’s like you’re expected to run right out of the womb and speak five languages, but it takes time, especially coming from the college game, which is so different now compared to the NFL game in terms of what quarterbacks are asked to do.

“So there’s a development part of it. Some guys hit the ground running and it’s awesome. And some guys get the teams where that team is just not ready to support a rookie quarterback. But at the same time, they were drafted early for a reason. If they can just hang on and get the right opportunity, you trust that they might, they may figure it out.”

As for Rodgers and the Jets, they appear to have the offense figured out. For the first time since 1989, and only for the fourth time in team history, the Jets have scored three touchdowns in each of their first three games of the season.

Despite their opening-season loss to the 49ers, the Jets lead the NFL in third-down conversion rate (56.8%). They have scored on all eight of their red zone opportunities and rank second in the league in red zone touchdown percentage (75%).

“It’s easier when you kind of get kicked in the teeth to come together,” Rodgers said. “It’s us against the world. It’s us against the big, bad media who’s saying how bad we are.

“We can kind of come together, but you can still come together and have the same approach when everybody’s starting to sing your praises a little bit.”

The Jets have had a lot of success so far despite Rodgers and wide receiver Garrett Wilson still trying to get on the same page chemistry-wise. During the first three games, opposing teams have keyed in on Wilson hoping to slow down the Jets offense.

Jets wide receiver Mike Williams also continues to be on a pitch count after tearing his ACL last season when he was with the Chargers. After playing only nine snaps in the season opener against the 49ers, Williams has played 70 of 130 snaps in the games against the Titans and Patriots.

“You know, once you get to four games, a lot of the breakdowns for defenses are in four-game segments,” Rodgers said. “Some will look back on the entire season, but you start to create tendencies. The mental part of it’s got to be sharp to practice habits.

“You know, you got to practice like a great team if you want to be a great team. We haven’t really practiced in a couple weeks. You know, we had the walkthroughs for the Thursday night game, nice long break.

“So we got to remember how to practice and have good tempo and, and get accomplished what we need to accomplish before Sunday.”

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