Jets made one key player completely 'untouchable' amid trade chaos

The New York Jets might be tearing their roster apart, but one star remains completely off-limits. Sauce Gardner is gone. Quinnen Williams is, too. But Garrett Wilson isn't going anywhere.

SNY's Connor Hughes reported on Tuesday that multiple teams called the Jets ahead of the trade deadline to inquire about Wilson's availability, only to be told he was "untouchable."

One team even reportedly tried again after the Gardner trade, but this time, the Jets didn’t even pick up the phone — literally. Hughes reports the organization let it ring, unwilling to even entertain the idea of moving their franchise wideout.

While they’ve traded away core defensive pillars like Gardner and Williams, the team clearly sees Wilson as the face of its next era — the offensive centerpiece for whichever young quarterback they plan to draft and develop.

Amid the chaos, Wilson stands as the lone constant, the player the Jets refuse to part with, no matter how high the offer. Many assumed Gardner was in the "untouchable" camp as well, but Tuesday's deadline proved that the Jets only view one player on their roster in that light.

Jets made Garrett Wilson 'untouchable' in trade talks

The Jets’ stance on Wilson should not come as a surprise. By trading Gardner and Williams, the front office signaled that they were fully committed to building around a rookie quarterback in the near future.

That’s why Wilson, the team’s top offensive playmaker and franchise cornerstone, isn’t going anywhere. You don’t trade the one player who could make life easier for your next franchise QB.

It’s not hard to see the logic. The Jets now own five first-round picks over the next two years, including three selections in 2027, giving them the ammunition to trade up for any quarterback they want and/or build around said quarterback.

Whoever that quarterback is, they’ll be stepping into an offense with a proven No. 1 target already in place, which is a luxury few young passers get. That quarterback should also have a rock-solid offensive line, a promising young offensive play-caller, and whatever other assets the Jets are able to add with their newfound draft capital.

Wilson has firmly established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL since entering the league in 2022. He's posted three consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns despite dismal quarterback play and was on pace for career-best numbers in 2025 before a knee injury sidelined him for two games.

That’s not the type of player you even think about moving when you’re preparing to draft a young quarterback. You can justify trading Gardner and Williams as a way to reallocate resources toward building around a future QB, but that logic doesn’t apply to Wilson.

The Jets may be rebuilding, but they're not entirely starting from scratch. Garrett Wilson is staying in Florham Park.