NY Jets sign Zach Wilson and end the unnecessary saga

Justin Fried

NY Jets, Zach Wilson / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via Imagn

It's finally over. The NY Jets and Zach Wilson have officially agreed to terms on a four-year, $35.1 million deal including a signing bonus of approximately $22.9 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

This puts to bed an unnecessary saga that lasted far longer than it should have and resulted in Wilson missing the first two practices of training camp. But here we are.

The deal is done.

In the end, a compromise was reached as the Jets were able to include offset language in the contract — something they have done with every contract.

In return, Wilson does not receive a deferral on his signing bonus and will receive it in full within 15 days. This compromise is very similar to the one the Jets agreed to with Sam Darnold back in 2018.

Now under contract, the NY Jets can't wait to see Zach Wilson take the field.

The Jets entered training camp with just two quarterbacks under contract. The likes of Mike White and James Morgan received all the reps at quarterback on Wednesday and Thursday to underwhelming results.

The team even considered signing a veteran just to add a third body to the active quarterback room with Josh Johnson and Sean Mannion receiving tryouts on Thursday. Evidently, their services will likely no longer be needed.

There's not a single person on One Jets Drive who won't be thrilled about the return/debut of Zach Wilson. From the coaching staff to his teammates, everyone is excited to see what Wilson can do.

Zach Wilson is in camp and can get valuable reps. Having been there yesterday, it’s clear the organization cannot wait to see him on the field. https://t.co/PVIAPD28xE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2021

Now, Wilson can begin to build chemistry with the numerous new additions to the Jets offense — something that couldn't happen with White and Morgan taking snaps under center.

This shouldn't have happened. Wilson shouldn't have missed training camp practices over something as insignificant as offset language. But the past cannot be changed.

As Schefter reported, Wilson flew from Los Angeles, where he had been working out with his personal coach John Beck, to New Jersey last night and will be available to practice on Friday.

Zach Wilson is under contract. Now, let's all put this in the past and forget it ever happened.

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.