Zach Wilson, now the quarterback leading the charge for the New York Jets, has secured himself an eye-catching four-year contract. The numbers are jaw-dropping, totaling a cool $35.2 million and every single dollar is locked in. What grabs attention is the whopping $22.9 million signing bonus tucked within this deal, plus a little something extra – the option for a fifth year in 2025.
Breaking it down to the numbers, in 2023, Zach Wilson is slated to earn $940,000 as his base salary, while a substantial $2,915,516 comes his way as a roster bonus. Despite these figures, his cap hit remains at $9,586,549.
Zach Wilson’s deal is by no means a small change. It positions him as one of the NFL’s future top earners among quarterbacks, promising a lucrative journey ahead.
Following a tough loss to the Jaguars, Jets head coach Robert Saleh once voiced unwavering support for quarterback Zach Wilson, emphasizing, “We’re not going to quit on him.” However, Wilson finds himself on the sidelines as Mike White takes the helm against Seattle in a bid for a playoff spot.
Inside the organization, the sentiment is consistent with Saleh’s words. General manager Joe Douglas has no intention of trading Wilson in the offseason. The Jets regard Wilson as a diligent support, a valuable teammate, and a highly intelligent player who has handled his demotions with grace.
Despite the ups and downs, including accuracy issues and injuries, Wilson boasts a winning record as a starter (5-4). During the season, there was a brief period when he took a backseat to White, who made quite an impression before unfortunately getting sidelined due to injury.
Aaron Rodgers called Zach Wilson the future of the Jets
The Jets have hit the brakes on Zach Wilson’s career, taking him out of the starting quarterback role last year. They did this to protect his confidence before they brought in Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. They’ve admitted that they rushed Wilson into the NFL spotlight and now want him to learn from Rodgers, who’s a future Hall of Famer.
Rodgers, at 39, is excited to mentor Wilson and liked what he saw during the preseason. In their recent game against the Buccaneers, with Wilson as QB, the Jets led 10-6 at halftime. Wilson’s stats were impressive 9 of 13 passes completed for 70 yards and 41 rushing yards.
“I’d like to be able to play a few good years here and then hand it right back off to Zach and let him go for the next 15, and it is a special 18 to 20-year run. Great quarterback,” said Rodgers on CBS’ “Take Flight: A Jets Season Preview.”
“I’d like to play a few good years here and then hand it off to Zach for the next 15.”
Aaron Rodgers to Otis Livingston on the CBS pregame show. #TakeFlight— jamie stuart (@jamiestuartTV) August 19, 2023
Rodgers has always aimed to boost Wilson’s confidence and mentioned a possible new contract for him with the Jets, whose current deal extends until at least 2024. They have an option for 2025, but it’s more likely they’ll renegotiate.
This time, the Jets have emphasized that Wilson should focus on having fun on the field rather than worrying about contracts or status. It’s clear that Aaron Rodgers sees Zach Wilson as the Jets’ future and is actively supporting his growth.