NY Jets WR Garrett Wilson calls out NFL referee after missed penalty

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Garrett Wilson / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

NY Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson has put together the best season of any Jets rookie receiver in franchise history, and there are still four games remaining in the campaign.

Wilson continued his excellent season with another impressive performance against the Buffalo Bills that saw the 10th overall pick finish with six catches for 78 yards. But one particular play had Wilson feeling a little sour after the game.

Facing a 3rd-and-12 at the beginning of the third quarter, quarterback Mike White fired a strike to Wilson on the sideline for a first down. As Wilson was jogging out of bounds, however, he was drilled by Bills safety Jordan Poyer.

Wilson and many others wanted a flag to be thrown for a late hit, but the referees decided against it. After the game, Wilson took to Twitter to express his displeasure while also sharing an anecdote about a particularly unprofessional quote another official had said to him earlier in the year.

First patriots game @ home was when a ref told me this I forget his field number.
— Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) December 12, 2022

NY Jets Garrett Wilson isn't happy with the NFL officiating

Wilson made it clear that he believes he hasn't been given the same respect as other players this year. And if what Wilson claims is true, whichever referee told the rookie wide receiver "this ain't Ohio State anymore" should likely face repercussions.

Wilson claimed that the incident occurred during the Jets' 22-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 9 which would indicate that the officiating crew in question was Land Clark's crew. Whether the exact referee was Clark or someone else is unclear.

Either way, that incident would certainly lend credence to the "rookies don't get respect" argument. And given the seemingly obvious late hit on Wilson that wasn't called on Sunday, it sure seems as though that's the case.

Wilson is the second Jets player to question the NFL's officiating process within the last week as safety Jordan Whitehead called out the league after he was fined for a personal foul after the Minnesota Vikings game.

Garrett Wilson may not be getting the benefit of the doubt when it comes to referees, but he hasn't let that affect his on-field production. And for the Jets, that's certainly what matters most.

Justin Fried

Justin Fried is an editor for FanSided who has over seven years of experience covering the NFL and various other sports. A diehard Jets fan since birth, Justin has served as the editor for The Jet Press since 2019, interviewing athletes such as Sauce Gardner, Curtis Martin, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joe Klecko, and many others. Justin has also worked closely with brands like Red Bull to help highlight the niche sectors of the sporting world. His four-part series on the sport of breaking remains one of his proudest pieces of work. In his spare time, Justin is an avid pro wrestling fan who is fortunate enough to have traveled to nearly 30 different countries.