Zach Wilson admits Jets made a huge mistake with his rookie season

The New York Jets are set to take on a familiar face in Week 4, as they travel to South Beach to face Zach Wilson and the Miami Dolphins. Of course, the Dolphins certainly hope Wilson doesn’t see the field for a snap, but his presence on the roster adds plenty of intrigue to the matchup.

Ahead of a potential revenge game, Wilson joined the From the Logo podcast hosted by former BYU basketball star Jimmer Fredette, where he was asked about his complicated tenure with the Jets.

Wilson spoke highly of his time in New York, but made sure to let it be known that he believes the Jets didn't exactly set him up for success, especially early in his NFL career. In fact, Wilson specifically highlighted one major mistake he believes the Jets made.

The Utah native admitted he felt he shouldn’t have been asked to start as a rookie, explaining that the mounting losses dealt a major blow to his self-confidence.

"I probably shouldn’t have been playing in my first year and taking on all those scars and the trauma of just being on a team where we weren’t very good. Every single week, I was kind of putting that on my shoulders and feeling it, like everything was my fault."

Zach Wilson

Zach Wilson believes the Jets did not set him up for NFL success

Wilson went on to remark that his confidence steadily declined early in his career, forcing him to make somewhat of a mental shift. Rather than dwelling on the struggles, he began channeling his focus into self-improvement and strengthening his mindset, something he believes ultimately helped him grow as a player.

But if he had it his way, he would not have started as a rookie. This isn't the first time such a criticism has been levied against the Jets regarding Wilson's disastrous tenure in New York.

The Jets didn't do much to surround Wilson with proven quarterback talent as a rookie. The team entered the summer with three quarterbacks on their roster: Wilson, Mike White, and James Morgan. None of the three had ever appeared in an NFL game prior to that season.

The team would eventually trade for well-traveled NFL veteran Joe Flacco in October, but by then Wilson had already endured weeks of growing pains without a steady veteran presence to lean on.

Wilson was also asked to play behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL and with a receiving corps headlined by names like Jamison Crowder, Braxton Berrios, Keelan Cole, and Denzel Mims. That's hardly the kind of environment designed to foster a young quarterback’s success.

Now, Wilson certainly deserves some of the blame as well. The former BYU star is statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in modern NFL history to receive as many starts as he did. His struggles were a combination of his own shortcomings and the Jets’ organizational incompetence.

Wilson is now hoping to revitalize his NFL career with his third team in as many years. One thing seems abundantly clear: both sides seem to be relieved that the Jets chapter of his career is over.

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