During Jets quarterback Zach Wilson’s last visit with the media, he said he didn’t feel like he let the defense down in last Sunday’s 10-3 loss to the Patriots.
That comment was not well received in the Jets locker room and Wilson addressed it during a Wednesday session with reporters from the team’s facility. Wilson said he sought out teammates to tell them that his response on Sunday was not the correct one.
“The way that I handled the situation wasn’t right,” Wilson said, via Connor Hughes of SNY. “I gotta be a better football player and then I gotta be a better leader for these guys. I have an opportunity to turn a page here as a player and as a leader.”
Wilson was benched by head coach Robert Saleh on Wednesday in a move that the team hopes will reset things for the 2021 first-round pick. Wilson called it humbling and shared how he plans to move forward.
“It’s tough, man,” Wilson said. “It’s never fun. The first thing that kinda went to my mind is that I gotta get to work. I gotta get better and I’m gonna approach that every single day to keep working to get better. . . .I wouldn’t say necessarily surprised because I haven’t been doing my job. Of course, I would like to not agree with the decision but it comes down to I’ve gotta play better.”
Saleh said that Wilson remains part of the team’s plans and Wednesday’s show of accountability is a step in the right direction in terms of how the quarterback is handling things off the field. It remains to be seen when he’ll get a chance to be on the field again and that will likely be a big factor in determining what kind of future Wilson has with the Jets.