In a surprising admission on Thursday, Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said that Zach Wilson might have benefited from not starting early in his career and learning from a veteran.
“In hindsight, it probably would’ve benefited [him],” LaFleur said on the second-year quarterback. “Just to sit back and learn a little bit and watch a veteran and just kind of grow in this league kind of in the backseat watching and getting better in practice and getting better through scout team and all that. Again, that wasn’t the course that we went and from here we have to pick it up, pick up the scraps and get back to work.”
His comments come a day after coach Robert Saleh said the team would maximize Wilson’s ability “through hell or high water.”
These comments all come after reports surfaced that the Jets were expected to “move on” from Wilson after this season. He has been benched multiple times this year and has the lowest completion percentage in the NFL at just 54.5% among players on pace for 200 pass attempts this season.
He has thrown for just 1,688 yards and six touchdowns to seven interceptions in his 13 starts this season. Taken with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, Wilson had high expectations to be a star in New York, but now it’s a question of if he will even be their quarterback going forward.
