The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt raised some eyebrows when he reported that "internally (and externally), many have wondered when — not if —" wide receiver Garrett Wilson will request a trade from the New York Jets.
Such chatter clearly isn't quieting down now that the team responsible for the longest playoff drought in the four major North American sports leagues has extended that run to 14 straight years.
"I’ve talked to people in Garrett Wilson’s circle…they think he will ask for a trade after the season," ESPN Jets insider Rich Cimini recently said on the latest edition of his "Flight Deck" podcast, as shared by Alex Kennedy of Pro Football Network. Cimini added that such talk "is speculation," but signs of a future divorce have existed for years.
Wilson, a 2022 first-round draft pick, hasn't been shy about voicing his displeasure regarding Jets-related topics since his rookie season. Last January, he warned that "what happened this season can’t happen again" because he had just endured "the worst year of my life." More recently, Wilson mentioned that he felt the Jets have "a losing problem" or losing "gene."
During New York's win at the Jacksonville Jaguars this past Sunday, Wilson seemed frustrated over not being targeted by quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a specific play.
"We've struggled in the red zone this season," Wilson said on Wednesday about that particular outburst, per Cimini. "I feel like sometimes we overcomplicate the game of football that we play."
While the Jets could retain Wilson's rights for the foreseeable future via the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract and the franchise tag, he is eligible to negotiate an extension this coming offseason for the first time in his career and could make things awkward behind the scenes by confirming that he wants out. Additionally, the Jets will soon have a new general manager and new head coach who didn't draft Wilson.
Perhaps that regime won't want to deal with a disgruntled receiver amid what likely will be a roster rebuild, especially if the club moves on from Rodgers when the new league year opens in March as many expect.
For a detailed piece about Jets owner Woody Johnson by The Athletic that was published on Thursday, one player with the team in 2023 directly said that the AFC East club is "the most dysfunctional place imaginable." At this point, one can't help but wonder if such individuals are trying to convince Wilson to get out while the getting is good.
