Garrett

Wilson

From a numbers standpoint, Wilson had yet another solid season with the Jets. The 24-year-old wideout has hit the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first three seasons while also scoring a career-high seven touchdowns. Despite an otherwise productive season that also included the second-most targets of his career (154), Wilson voiced his displeasure with the offense late in the season and has hinted at the possibility of wanting out of New York this offseason. The likely departure of Aaron Rodgers could factor into whether or not Wilson ultimately asks out, but this certainly won’t be the last we hear of any rumors regarding Wilson and his standing with the team. Whether it’s with the Jets or someone else, Wilson will profile as fringe WR1/WR2, who has earned 148 or more targets in each of his three seasons as a pro.

He fumbled in the third quarter on a go-nowhere screen pass when he tried to make something happen, then finally scored when Aaron Rodgers was benched for Tyrod Taylor. Funny how that happens. Wilson cleared 1,000 receiving yards for the season in the performance. He’ll be a WR2 in Week 18 against the Dolphins before we head into an offseason that portends a lot of upheaval for Wilson whether he stays in New York or is ultimately traded.

Rapoport isn’t stating definitively that Wilson would demand a trade if the Jets were to bring back Aaron Rodgers, he’s reading the tea leaves that many reporters, including himself, have been laying down in recent weeks. There appears to be a clear fractured relationship between the Jets’ 41-year-old quarterback and their 24-year-old budding star receiver. Wilson and Rodgers have not appeared to be on the same page for much of the season, and Wilson’s production has fallen off drastically since the Jets traded for Davante Adams. Given how poor this season went, it seems obvious for the Jets to choose a 24-year-old cost-controlled stud wide receiver over a 41-year-old quarterback on the decline, but that decision may fall to the new head coach and GM, whoever they may be.

Wilson said after the Jets’ Week 16 loss to the Rams that he would “like to be involved” more. Wilson saw just three targets in the first 55 minutes of Sunday’s game and had just six targets in the team’s Week 15 win over the Jaguars. Numbers-wise, Wilson’s 141 targets ranks fourth-most amongst all receivers in the league, with Malik Nabers, CeeDee Lamb, and Ja’Marr Chase being the only players ahead of him. Wilson’s 89 targets in neutral game scripts are good for third-most behind Chase and Justin Jefferson. It’s hard to imagine the Jets finding Wilson more targets than he’s seeing right now, but Wilson being vocal about his target volume is good news for fantasy managers who are battling for titles in Week 17 when the Jets take on the Bills.

Don’t let the statline fool you, Wilson had three targets in the first 55 minutes of this game before being fed more targets with the game decided. The 24-year-old is the clear second option behind Davante Adams, and despite being a top-end talent, he’s in a sputtering offense while playing next to a receiver who’s best friends with the quarterback. That’s not exactly a recipe for fantasy success, which will cap his upside for the remainder of this season.

Wilson’s 22-yard score in the first quarter prevented another super frustrating fantasy day, though 3/56/1 isn’t exactly The Ritz, either. Wilson himself was quite frustrated after Aaron Rodgers missed an opening-drive deep gain down the left sideline. He was spotted venting on the sideline. We can’t imagine he was feeling any more sanguine after Rodgers’ best pal Davante Adams turned 12 targets into a gargantuan 9/198/2 statline. Rodgers clearly wants to get Wilson more involved, but his lifelong connection with Adams is taking the day. Wilson will still possess upside for Week 16 against the Rams.

Rosenblatt notes that multiple team sources said in 2023 that Wilson “expressed privately that if things didn’t get better, he wouldn’t want to stick around long-term,” and that he “will likely” seek an extension worth “more than $30 million per year” this offseason. You didn’t think Jets drama was merely limited to Aaron Rodgers, did you? The Jets fielded calls on Wilson at the trade deadline. It’s hard to understand what a market for him would look like without knowing how adamant Wilson is on getting out of New York and what levers he’s willing to press, but there have absolutely been worse receivers traded for a first-round pick. Teams would likely have to bid more than that.

Wilson appeared to finally, at long last, be on the same page with Aaron Rodgers. Wilson’s first 100-yard outing since October came as Rodgers exceeded 300 passing yards for the first time since 2021. It was a decidedly pass heavy game plan for New York. It was always a matter of converting opportunities for Wilson, who has been peppered with targets alongside Davante Adams over the past six weeks. Wilson could be in for another solid outing in Week 15 against a Jacksonville secondary that ranks among the worst in the league.

It’s a weak statline that would have looked a lot better with improved quarterback play. Aaron Rodgers under-threw a potential 84-yard Wilson touchdown on the Jets’ second play from scrimmage before missing him for a wide-open score in the second quarter. Rodgers then threw a 92-yard pick-six the following play. Grim. Battling Davante Adams for Rodgers’ misfires, Wilson has settled in as a boom/bust WR3. Week 14 variables are six teams on bye and the Jets’ increasingly wobbly commitment to a “franchise quarterback” who won’t be back in 2025.

The disastrous statline comes as opposing defenses continue to close in on an immobile Aaron Rodgers. Wilson posted a new season low for yardage by 15. Wilson initially seemed to be benefitting from Davante Adams coming in and commanding defensive attention, but now it’s just Adams vacuuming up short-area looks while Rodgers struggles to generate anything down the field. There is hope when the Jets return from their Week 12 bye to face a string of soft opponents, but Wilson is beginning to look like a low-end WR2 in a deteriorating offense.