After Jets quarterback Zach Wilson lost his starting job on Wednesday, he spoke to reporters about his reaction to his performance in last Sunday’s loss to the Patriots.
Wilson went 9 of 22 for 77 yards in a game the Jets lost 10-3 on a punt return touchdown in the final seconds, then said he didn’t feel like he let up team defense. The comment caused bad feelings in the team locker room, and Wilson said Wednesday that “the way I handled the situation was not good.”
Wilson said he also spoke directly to his teammates about what happened and cornerback DJ Reed said the quarterback’s remarks were well received.
“What he said was very authentic,” Reed said, via Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “It came from his heart. It was very real. He definitely poured out his heart. If he hadn’t already, he definitely earned and earned everyone’s respect with what he said. today.
Mike White starts this Sunday, but the message from the Jets was that they wanted Wilson to use this time to reset for a return to the roster. It’s unclear when that might happen, but dealing with the fallout from his comments was a necessary part of that process.