Zach Wilson is getting a fresh start in Denver.
The 2021 second-overall pick was traded by the Jets to the Broncos on Monday for a late-round pick swap, with Pat McAfee discussing the move on his self-titled ESPN show, particularly how the 24-year-old quarterback can leave his rollercoaster of a New York experience behind him— off-field drama and all.
“I mean we talked to Zach a little bit, he’s a sweet boy. He said he watched us, he’s heard us, obviously he knows of all the chitter chatter about him, I think, he is experienced in the New York media, and the failure, the couple of different coaches,” McAfee began.
“… But nonetheless, everything that happened with Zach — oh, the mom and that whole — he now gets to kind of cleanse himself, go to the rockies with a team that is looking for a new person and now the Broncos have a little security going into the draft that we have a guy that can spin it on our roster.”
Though McAfee didn’t elaborate, it’s possible the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it comment could have been in reference to the 2022 scandal, when Wilson was accused of being involved with a friend of his mother’s, a claim allegedly made by his ex-girlfriend, Abbey Gile.
At the time of the unraveling drama — which McAfee addressed on his show in July 2022 — Wilson laughed off the chatter on Instagram, posting: “Took the boys to @gozzerranchclub in Idaho before camp! Poor cell service…what I miss?”
Wilson’s mom Lisa, who was also thrust into the national spotlight following her son’s arrival in New York in 2021, appeared to address the allegations in a July 2022 video that featured a friend, stating, “The people questioning… no. Shut up… I have good friends, you guys are idiots.”
Things spiraled professionally for Wilson as the 2022 season got underway, particularly in November when the quarterback refused to take accountability for a poor offensive outing in a 10-3 loss to the Patriots.
He was subsequently benched and apologized privately to teammates.
Wilson was expected to have a “reset” season in 2023 following the Jets’ acquisition of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers from the Packers.
That plan quickly went to shreds just four plays into the regular season, when the four-time league MVP ruptured his Achilles.
Wilson was back under center and later benched as the eventual 7-10 season continued.
A divorce between Wilson and the Jets had been in the works for some time, with general manager Joe Douglas granting the 2021 first-round pick permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason.
A deal finally materialized Monday with the Broncos, who recently moved on from Russell Wilson following a failed two-season experiment.
The Jets will receive a sixth-rounder from the Broncos (No. 203) while Denver gets a seventh-rounder (No. 256).
“Good for Zach, good for the Broncos, good for the Jets, it’s a win-win-win,” McAfee said Monday.
The Broncos, who currently hold pick No. 12 in the 2024 NFL Draft, are seemingly in the market for a quarterback, with head coach Sean Payton stating in March it’s “realistic” the team trades up.
J.J. McCarthy, who won a national championship at Michigan in January, has been heavily linked to Denver.
