Wilson: Starting QB job must be earned
NEW YORK — Zach Wilson doesn’t believe the starting job is his yet. He believes he still has to earn it.
“That’s important, but that’s not my focus right now. My focus is to learn the offense and keep getting better every single day,” Wilson said on Day 2 of the Jets’ rookie minicamp in Florham Park. “Do what I can with the guys around me, and I think the rest takes care of itself.
“In this position the coaches want to play the best player, and that position has to be earned. I’ve got to make sure I do what I’m supposed to do and know that’ll take care of itself.”
Jet fans will eat that quote up. But Wilson knows this is his team and that’s his job. He’s the No. 2 overall pick.
The only other quarterbacks on the roster right now are Mike White and James Morgan and neither have attempted a pass in the NFL. The Jets did bring in veteran QB Brian Hoyer, 35, for a visit in April, but have yet to decide on adding a QB in that mentor role.
If Gang Green opened Week 1 with anybody but Wilson under center, then an atrocity occurred.
In the meantime Wilson is learning his new offensive scheme under offensive coordinator Mike LeFleur. The former BYU star sees some similarities to the college game but explained that the concepts are more complex.
“The terminology is completely different. Football is really like learning a language,” Wilson said. “You’ve got to work at it every single day to put the words together, be able to think of them quick and know what’s going on. Similarities is the play action game, the inside zone, outside zone is something specific to the West Coast offense that we did at BYU. The mix of under center and gun, you know, being able to do both. Lots of shifts motions that kind of thing is very similar.
Head coach Robert Saleh has been pleased with what he’s seen of his young quarterback so far.
“He did a really nice job,” Saleh said before Saturday’s workout which was held inside due to the rain, “the ball was in his hands, very crisp. He was in rhythm, he was on time. Playerswererunningtherightroutesandtheballs were barely on the ground. So it was a very good first day for him. And now he’s gonna stack it up and get better every day.”