PROVO, Utah, April 22, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The New York Jets are trading former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos, ending a tumultuous three-year stint with the team that selected him No. 2 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Jets are sending Wilson and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick in this week’s draft, according to multiple reports. In addition, the teams plan to split the $5.5 million the fourth-year pro is due this season.
Wilson, 24, saw action in 12 games for the Jets in 2023, including 11 starts. The former BYU and Corner Canyon High School QB completed 221 of 368 passes for 2,271 yards and eight touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also gained 211 yards on 36 rushing attempts (5.9 yards per carry) but lost seven fumbles and was sacked a career-high 46 times for -340 yards.
Wilson, 6-foot-2, 214 pounds, started 33 of the 34 games he played in his three seasons in New York, but his touchdown totals (23 passing, five rushing) were exceeded by his turnovers (25 interceptions, nine fumbles lost). The Jets announced Feb. 28 that they had given Wilson permission to speak to other teams about a potential trade.
Wilson will become a free agent following the 2024 season if the Broncos decline to pick up his $22.4 million fifth-year option.
The Draper native was a three-year starter at BYU, playing in 30 career games and making 28 starts. He finished his collegiate career 566 of 837 passing for 7,652 yards with 56 touchdowns, along with 212 rushing attempts for 642 yards and 15 TDs.
As a senior at Corner Canyon, Wilson passed for 2,986 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing for 752 yards and eight TDs.
