FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — This time, New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson made his intentions clear. It was a departure from his public frustration in December that fueled speculation he was considering a trade request.
“I’m hopeful I’m a Jet for life and that we get this thing rolling and that all of our best days are ahead of us,” Wilson said Wednesday after the Jets’ first open OTA practice.
Wilson’s comments were significant because he is eligible for a contract extension. Nothing is imminent, but Jets officials have said they’d like to lock up their top young players. Wilson, who is signed through 2026 (his fifth-year option was recently exercised), said there have been “a few discussions, here and there” between his agent and the team.
“When the time does come and those conversations are being had,” he added, “I’m going to try and do my part to make sure that it’s undeniable.”
Wilson posted career highs last season in receptions (101), receiving yards (1,104) and touchdowns (seven), but his in-game body language, combined with cryptic comments about his future, created the perception he was disgruntled.
“I understand that it’s perceived a certain way,” he said. “The reality of it is — no, I wasn’t happy losing, but I wasn’t unhappy.”
Two things contributed to Wilson’s attitude change: The arrival of coach Aaron Glenn, who has infused the organization with hope, and the Justin Fields-for-Aaron Rodgers swap at quarterback.
Glenn has made it clear to Wilson that he will be a foundational player. On Wednesday, Glenn said the objective is to “get him the ball as much as possible.”
As for the quarterback change, it was clear last season that Wilson and Rodgers didn’t see eye to eye, leading to tension in their relationship. Now, Wilson will be catching passes from his former Ohio State teammate. He gushed about Fields.
“He trusts me. I trust him. We’ve got a good communication. We speak to each other well. We know exactly what we’re thinking, and that’s so key,” Wilson said. “We’re just trying to get the best out of each other. That goes back five, six years now.
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“So, for me, I know exactly what he can do, and I still think the world’s got to see it. And that’s a beautiful thing about this. We’ve all got something to prove on this team. We haven’t done nothing yet. And I know we all got that chip on our shoulder.”
Fields, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract as a free agent, has impressed the Jets with what many describe as a quiet confidence.
Glenn said Fields is “authentic”: “He’s not going to change for nobody, and I’d rather have that than somebody that’s fake.”
As Glenn added, “I like that he’s not trying to be — and I’m going to use a [Bill] Parcells [quote] now: He’s not trying to be the celebrity quarterback. He’s just trying to be himself.”
He didn’t mention Rodgers by name, but Glenn’s reference to a “celebrity quarterback” certainly conjured up thoughts of the future Hall of Famer who was released by Glenn in a brief and contentious meeting on Feb. 6.
Rodgers’ departure sparked a controversial social media post from Jets star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who said on X in February, “Another rebuild year for me I guess.” Williams later deleted the post.
On Wednesday, Williams said he regretted his reaction.
“I definitely think it was an immature thing for me to do at the moment,” he said. “Out of emotion, out of frustration, it was definitely immature.”
Glenn, not happy with the post, discussed it with Williams at the time. Now that he has had a chance to get acquainted with Glenn and the new staff, Williams said he is “super, super excited and super, super confident that we’re going in the right direction to win football games and to do the things that I want to do.”
Williams, one of the longest-tenured players on the team, has experienced six straight losing seasons since being drafted by New York with the third pick in 2019. The Jets have gone 14 years without making the playoffs, the league’s longest active drought.
“I’d like to change the whole narrative of the New York Jets losing streaks, the playoff streaks and different things like that,” Williams said. “I was drafted here a long time ago, and I was paid to help change this thing around. I wear that as a badge of honor. I want to make sure that before I leave this game, the New York Jets are going to be on top and the New York Jets are going to be the football team to watch.”
