With the Jets season approaching a crash landing with New York poised to finish below .500 for the ninth straight season and extend their American-sports-worst playoff drought to 14 seasons, one of Gang Green's most valuable members might be prepping to ask for his ticket out of a town to greener NFL pastures.
According to ESPN's Rick Cimini, multiple people he spoke with in New York wide receiver Garrett Wilson's circle believe that the 24-year-old will ask for a trade during the offseason so that he can play his fourth year for a new, and presumably more functional, football franchise.
Wilson, the 2022 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, is pacing for his third consecutive 1,000-yard season and has already scored a career-best six touchdowns with three games left to go.
Snagged by the Jets in the first round of the '22 NFL Draft with the 10th overall pick, Wilson has done his damage this season with an inconsistent Aaron Rodgers after catching the ball from a rotating cast of weak-armed characters led by Zach Wilson during his first two seasons in the league.
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Given that the quarterback carousel in New York is almost certain to keep spinning with Rodgers likely set to be cut or retire or both during the offseason, it seems entirely logical that Wilson could be thinking about continuing his playing career somewhere with more stability.
If Wilson's rumored trade request comes to fruition this offseason, the Jets will have no shortage of suitors for his services and will almost certainly be able to recoup a high draft pick for the young pass-catcher, possibly even a first-round selection.
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One issue that will complicate negotiations is that Wilson will be entering the fourth year of his rookie contract and thus will be eligible to sign a lucrative extension, which he will almost certainly demand to do. The point is, any team that trades for Wilson is going to have to surrender valuable assets to the Jets and then open up their wallet in a big way to make doing the deal worthwhile.
Which doesn't mean trading for Wilson wouldn't be worth it. New York's divisional rivals, the Patriots, haven't had a receiver top 1,000 yards since Tom Brady was playing quarterback in New England and he split for Tampa Bay five seasons ago. Would they give the Jets a first-round pick and then give Wilson the bag? Maybe.
If not the Patriots, some NFL team certainly would and that may end up being what Wilson, who came from a highly successful football program at Ohio State and has seen the Jets go 18-30 since he was drafted, decides he wants.
We'll find out this offseason.
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