Last season, wide receiver Garrett Wilson collected 1,103 receiving yards and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was one of a group of terrific young players who gave the New York Jets some real hope for the future.
Although he is doing well statistically this season with 642 yards through nine games, that hope is largely gone, mostly because of the torn Achilles future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained in Week 1. In addition, Wilson has publicly admitted that he’s frustrated about the team’s struggles on offense.
Former star quarterback Boomer Esiason, who played three seasons with the Jets back in the early-to-mid-1990s, had some poignant words for Wilson and let him know that he simply needs to play better and be a part of the solution.
“I would just button it up, man,” Esiason said while speaking about Wilson during Tuesday’s edition of the WFAN “Boomer and Gio” program, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. “You dropped a key pass [in the 16-12 loss at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night]. You threw a wide-open reverse pass into the stands. Just button up and just do your job, man. That’s all it is. It’s that simple. Just like the great Bill Belichick says all the time, ‘just do your job.'”
NFL News & Rumors: Garrett Wilson, New York Jets Updates
It is human nature for Garrett, his teammates or Jets fans to blame quarterback Zach Wilson for the Jets’ inability to consistently move the chains. After all, Zach Wilson has completed only 59.8 percent of his pass attempts and thrown more interceptions (six) than touchdown passes (five) this year, and New York is 30th in points and passing yards, as well as last in passing touchdowns.
But when a team such as New York is just 4-5 on the season and is playing so poorly on offense, everyone must take responsibility, and that must start with all of the team’s best players, including Garrett Wilson.
It has two difficult games coming up in the next two weeks at the Buffalo Bills and against the Miami Dolphins at home. After that will be two winnable games versus the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans before the Jets travel south to play the Dolphins again.
There are rumors that Rodgers may attempt a comeback in a few weeks, possibly in the game at the Dolphins in Week 15. But Garrett Wilson and the Jets cannot wait for Rodgers to rescue them; they must be active participants in their own rescue.
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