The future of a key piece of the Jets young core may be at risk.
When Garret Wilson was asked if he would like to stay with the Jets long term, he didn’t give a definitive answer.
“I don’t know, man,” Wilson said Thursday following practice. “I just do whatever, go about my day, be where my feet at and if they do [offer an extension], that would be a blessing. That would be awesome. I love the Jets. At the end of the day, they were the ones that believed in me. I can’t be worrying about all that. Just going to finish these three games the right way.”
Garrett Wilson #5 of the New York Jets looks on against the Miami Dolphins during the first half of the game at Hard Rock Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Getty ImagesThe question came in the wake of speculation he will ask to be traded after the season.
Wilson, 24, is eligible for a contract extension after this season for the first time, as NFL players are unable to negotiate long-term deals until after their third season in the league.
He was drafted 10th overall in 2022 and is signed through 2025 on a four-year, $20.6 million contract, per Spotrac.
The Jets can exercise a fifth-year option for 2026 by May 2025, as Wilson was a first-round pick.
There is a lot of uncertainty in what the 2025 Jets will look like, with head coach, general manager and possibly a quarterback role to fill.
However, Wilson said he doesn’t need to see who is in the building to make a decision.
Garrett Wilson walks off the field after the Jets lost to the Seahawks on Dec. 1. Bill Kostroun for the NY Post
Bill Kostroun/New York Post“I don’t need to see nothing. The Jets are the team that believed in me and all,” he said. “Just being where my feet at. I’m not going to speak on all that. Be where my feet at. Just go about these three games the right way. I want to win to finish this season and feel good about it going into the offseason as good as we can. That’s where my focus is at.”
Wilson hasn’t been shy about expressing his frustrations with the Jets throughout the season, going as far as saying the franchise has a “losing gene” after their playoff-eliminating loss to the Dolphins in Week 14.
Those frustrations showed up again Sunday when the star wideout had an outburst during the Jets’ eventual 32-25 win over the Jaguars.
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After a Jets drive stalled out following a sack of Aaron Rodgers to start the third quarter, Wilson was clearly boiling on the sideline.
In a clip on the broadcast, he was yelling to wide receiver coach Shawn Jefferson, seemingly saying, “If it’s a one-on-one, throw the fade,” indicating Rodgers was holding on to the ball for too long.
“We had a chance to score in the red zone and I was just saying they were playing man coverage,” Wilson said. “Cameras always seem to catch me when I’m doing something like that. It’s honestly not that serious. Just trying to find what we can do to win the game and it might look a certain way, but it’s nothing really to bounce back from. I’m all good. May speak on my feelings a little differently than most. So, that’s all that was.”
He emphasized that the lash out was only about “trying to win the game.”
Jets play-caller Todd Downing also noted the situation was “quickly over and moved on from.”
Wilson is a promising piece for the Jets’ future, joining the young talent of Breece Hall, Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson.
Garrett Wilson runs with the ball during the Jets’ loss to the Bills on Oct. 14. Corey Sipkin for the NY POSTThe 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year is tied for eighth in the league in catches (84), is 12th in receiving yards (993) and fourth in targets (134).
Still, Wilson had just three receptions for 56 yards across six targets against the Jaguars, and the Jets’ victory was led by Davante Adams’ 198-yard, two-touchdown game.
Since Adams’ Jets debut in Week 7, the six-time Pro Bowler has 81 targets compared with 67 for Wilson.
