'He Loves Competing!' Jets Coach Praises Wilson's Mentality

The bar for quarterback play necessary to fuel a star receiver isn’t high, but through two seasons, the New York Jets have fallen short. In turn, former first-round receiver Garrett Wilson has been left in a kind of receiver purgatory.

Talent-wise, there’s little question about Wilson’s game. The track record and back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons speak for themselves. But with only seven touchdowns in two seasons, Wilson hasn’t had the nuclear season the public needs to welcome him to the pantheon of the elite.

With a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center, he’s primed to explode in Year 3.

On Monday, receivers coach Shawn Jefferson spoke about how he compares to his star understudy and what makes him unique in today’s game.

“I think Garrett is way better than Shawn Jefferson. He’s a real talent. He really is,” Jefferson said . “But I think Garrett and I, our competitiveness, we share that alike. He’s very intense, I’m very intense as well. I’m very fortunate that I coach a guy that has the same mindset that I do, because I’m a go-getter, he’s definitely a go-getter.

“I’ll give you an example, we were getting ready to scrimmage Washington out there, he comes to me on Monday, he says ‘Turn me loose Thursday. Turn me loose.’ I said ‘You (expletive) got it. Let’s go.’ I just absolutely love it. Every day he’s ready to go, it’s a joy.”

Wilson didn’t play in Saturday’s 20-17 preseason win, but he did show out during Thursday’s rainy joint practice with the Washington Commanders. Lined up against corner Emmanuel Forbes, Wilson went to work.

Related: Jets' Defensive Line Depth Strong vs. Commanders

Armed with upgrades under center and on the offensive line, and joined by veteran deep threat Mike Williams, the stage is set for Wilson to put up his most productive season yet.

He’s got two seasons of frustration to take out on NFL defensive backs and a coach willing to match his edge.

“You don’t find that in this day and age, you just don’t find that. He’s always ready to go. He loves competing. So like I said, it’s a dream come true for me.”