In the end, Zach Wilson will have turned out to be a pretty inexpensive insurance policy for the Denver Broncos — a sort-of-competent former NFL starter who they kept in a “shatter in case of emergency” glass case as rookie quarterback Bo Nix breathed new life into the franchise.
In the process, Wilson revitalized a once-dead NFL career by simply being a good teammate, playing well in the preseason and staying ready for duty as the team’s emergency third quarterback for 17 regular-season games.
For that, Wilson should be able to secure a decent-sized contract as a No. 2 quarterback for another NFL team, which ESPN’s Ben Solak thinks should be the Carolina Panthers, where Wilson would serve behind 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
“The Panthers will run it back with quarterback Bryce Young in 2025 given his strong finish to the season, but they’d be wise to get another dice roll at QB2 if things go left for him,” Solak wrote on January 6. “What about Zach Wilson, who is a free agent and plays a similar game to Young as an undersized, creative and mobile quarterback? He would be the right sort of gamble.”
Wilson is in the final year of the 4-year, $35.1 million contract he signed with the New York Jets in 2021, with the Broncos and Jets splitting his $5.44 million salary right down the middle in 2024.
Wherever Wilson lands, while he might not get a raise, he could very well secure a contract that pays him close to what he made in 2024 — something similar to the 1-year, $6 million contract Marcus Mariota signed with the Washington Commanders in March 2024.
Wilson Seemed On Path Headed Out of NFL
Had the Broncos not traded a 2024 sixth round pick in exchange for Wilson and a 2024 seventh round pick, there’s a good chance the former BYU star and No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft may have been out of the league entirely.
Instead, Wilson seems on track to get another chance as a decently-paid backup and played well enough in the preseason that he was subject of trade rumors before the deadline but stayed put on the Broncos’ roster.
During his time in New York, Wilson was one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks, going 12-21 in 33 starts while throwing for more interceptions (25) than touchdowns (23) and leading the league in yards lost on sacks (370) in 2021 and in fumbles lost (7) in 2023.
While Wilson will go down as one of the Jets’ all-time draft busts, he’s hardly the only quarterback to fail in New York and he’s the third first-round quarterback for the Jets to bottom out in the last 20 years alongside Mark Sanchez (2009) and current Minnesota Vikings starter Sam Darnold (2018).
Bryce Young Could Finally Fulfill Potential
Wilson’s true role moving forward could be as a wingman to a great, young quarterback — what the Panthers hope Young turns into after being benched early in the 2024 season.
Young eventually got the starting job back after Andy Dalton was injured in a car accident and never gave it back. He also played the best game of his young career in a thrilling, 44-38 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons by going 25-of-34 passing for 251 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions along with 2 rushing touchdowns.
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