Denver Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson has played in just 34 regular season games in the NFL, which is hardly enough to get a good read on how good he can be. But, Wilson had hurricane force winds in his face through his three years in the league.
Playing in New York can warp how fans, teammates, and front offices evaluate players. He has played hurt for each of his three years. Wilson had ligament damage in his knee in 2021 and another knee injury in 2022 after tearing his meniscus, and he suffered a concussion at the end of the 2023 season. Yes, Wilson’s numbers are below average, but he also survived Aaron Rodgers over his shoulder last year.
This season, he’s a Denver Bronco and talking about his years in New York. An advantage of being a Bronco is having Peyton Manning a text away, and now he has a new fight on his hands.
Wilson Bittersweet Leaving New York
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For the first time, Wilson talks about the trade that sent him out of New York to the Rocky Mountains.
“I feel like you learn the most when things don’t always go the best. You bank those reps and you learn from them. And through years of things being challenging, you learn a lot of things. So hopefully I can carry those with me.”
He called leaving the New York Jets ‘bittersweet.’ He told reporters fresh starts are good, and he’s excited for his new challenge. Wilson’s career stats aren’t going to wow you. He’s 12-21 for the Jets, completing 57% of his passes for just about 7,000 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions.
Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton said, “We were really happy to bring Zach on board. We saw talent with a player who, just three years ago, was the No. 2 pick in the draft. We really like his traits.”
3 Will Compete for Broncos Starting Job
Coach Payton has three quarterbacks in camp and says they will all compete for the starting job. The Broncos drafted University of Oregon QB Bo Nix with the 12th pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Jarrett Stidham is also on the roster with Zach Wilson.
The Broncos are moving on after the disaster that was the two years with Russell Wilson. It seems an understatement to say just how bad the situation was last year. Wilson struggled with snap counts, play calling, and other fundamentals of playing quarterback in the NFL.
“There is a valid reason that Sean Payton, who is one of the best quarterback coaches and best offensive minds in our game” CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala said, “is saying I’m going to pay this guy millions upon millions of dollars to be nowhere near my locker room,”
Zach Wilson Has Peyton Manning To Help Him
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Broncos reporter Al Formicola reports that Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was among the first to reach out to Zach Wilson after the trade. Manning said the lack of stability in New York really stunted Wilson’s growth as a quarterback.
“Let’s just sort of start over, right? And let’s just let Sean Payton and his staff coach you and kind of start from ground zero, which I think might be just what Zach needs,”
Wilson was thrilled, “It’s exciting,” Wilson said about hearing from Manning. “He’s an unbelievable player. I grew up always watching him and the way he plays the game, he competes. He attacks it. And he’s a legend.” Wilson also has John Elway, who is just a phone call away.
About The Author
Bradley Tachco is a career journalist. I spent 12+ years at CNN as a writer and producer. My sports are the NHL, MLB, and NFL. My goal: unique content. And my teams are the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills (yes, I’m a masochist), and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I have been a Dodgers fan since I was old enough to think. I have gone through decades of despair with all three franchises. You can follow Bradley on X @p09691
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