NY Jets TE C.J. Uzomah heaps praise on 'unbelievable' Zach Wilson

Newly minted NY Jets' tight end C.J. Uzomah already loves everything about New York: the atmosphere, the untapped potential, and, of course, quarterback Zach Wilson.

Uzomah played with one of the league's best quarterbacks in Joe Burrow last season, so his standards may be higher than most. The 29-year-old will enter his eighth season in the NFL after spending the majority of his career in Cincinnati, and Uzomah sees plenty of hope in this talented Jets squad in 2022.

The comparisons between the Jets and Uzomah's former team need no elaboration. Both New York and Cincinnati are incredibly young teams, with the Bengals having a slight edge in talent and luck that helped them reach the Super Bowl in 2021.

Joe Burrow led his team to historic success last season — could Zach Wilson do the same this year?

Uzomah recently showered Wilson with praise, though the two have yet to take the field together.

"I've watched a lot of film watching him and I'm expecting him to make huge strides this season. We've been asking each other questions. He's a smart kid, he's young, he's an unbelievable player with an unbelievable football mind."

- C.J. Uzomah

NY Jets: This could be the beginning of C.J. Uzomah's and Zach Wilson's beautiful friendship

Uzomah's talents are nothing to shrug at, either. New York wisely snapped up both Uzomah and Tyler Conklin in free agency and added rookie Jeremy Ruckert to round out what on paper appears to be a very solid tight end room.

The Jets' retooled offensive line includes many heavyweights from last year along with Laken Tomlinson, and that front five should give Zach Wilson much-needed pass protection as he looks to take a huge leap in his career.

In 2021, Uzomah finished with a career-high 49 catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns, and he, too, will want to keep improving his game as a TE1 in the Jets' offensive scheme.

After failing to trade for a veteran wide receiver, the Jets can nonetheless be content with their pass-catching options, striking a balance between speedy youth in Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore and the grizzled expertise of Uzomah.

It was perhaps Uzomah's locker room presence, rather than his on-field talents, that turned him into one of the most popular players at Cincinnati, and we wouldn't be surprised if he became a fan favorite in New York by the start of the 2022 season.