Jets fans stop me if you heard this one: Garrett Wilson dominated on the field despite playing with a backup quarterback.
On a day when the rain was steadily falling, Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh thought it was best to keep his 40-year-old quarterback on the sidelines as the team welcomed the Washington Commanders to Florham Park for the first of three joint practice sessions the Jets have scheduled this year. This decision, he said, was based on the wet field conditions and the "heightened environment" of having to face another team instead of his own. Saleh concluded that it was an "unnecessary" risk to put him on the field.
"I just didn't want to expose him to it," Saleh said. "If it was a game, if it was a [regular] practice, if it was clean outside, he would've practiced today. Call it overprotection, but it's just the decision I made."
Rodgers didn’t love the idea of sitting out the joint practice with a new defensive to go against. "He pushed back, he pushed back," Saleh said after practice. "He wanted to go, but in the grand scheme of things, we're trying to keep forward-thinking with regard to Week 1." This could be another chapter in a budding power struggle between Rodgers and Saleh.
On the field, the Jets offense didn’t look too bad behind backup quarterback Tyron Taylor and star receiver Garrett Wilson.
"Garrett looked awesome," Saleh said. Wilson started the day with a tip-toe-touchdown grab on a fade with Commanders CB Emmanuel Forbes in coverage.
Taylor and Wilson then connected on a pair of chunk plays in the next team period. The veteran quarterback launched a ball down the sideline that Wilson brought in with Forbes a step behind much to the enjoyment of one kid who predicted it would happen.
Four plays later, Wilson found a soft spot in the zone and made a couple defenders miss before he gained extra yards.
"I love that kid," Taylor said. "One of my good friends. … It's been a pleasure working alongside of him. He's a fierce competitor. His passion for the game, I haven't seen many people like that."
Wilson has surpassed 1,000 yard receiving in each of his first two seasons since being drafted 10th overall out of Ohio State University despite less than stellar quarterback play. He figures to have a big year if the Jets can get at least competent play out of Aaron Rodgers or Tyrod Taylor this season.
As for the guy Wilson was able to torch today, AtoZ's Washington Commanders writer Evan Winter had this to say about Emmanuel Forbes:
Forbes is under the microscope after a really bad season and he’s a questionable fit for Dan Quinn’s defense even with the 17 pounds he put on over the offseason.
Garrett Wilson is a top tier receiver, so anyone can have a bad day against him and the Commanders secondary is not only questionable, but then. Regardless, trading Forbes to get maximum return makes a lot of sense for a team that’s looking at the big picture, anyway.
It is nice to see Wilson excelling on the field especially after some heated exchanges with Aaron Rodgers in training camp not once, but twice .
Overall, it was a good day for the Jets as they finally got to face another team on the field for the first time this season, even if it was just practice for now.
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