Jets trade Zach Wilson to Broncos for a Pick Swap
NFL Network’s Ian Rappoport was the first to break the news. The Jets trade Zach Wilson and the penultimate pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Jets for the pick no. 203.
A draft week QB deal! It's Pick 203 for Pick 256. https://t.co/waZCa9qgMm
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 22, 2024
This means only one quarterback from that draft class, Trevor Lawrence, is on the team that drafted him.
Zach Wilson will get a fresh start and could compete with Ben DiNucci and Jarrett Stidham for a starting role if the Broncos aren’t able to land a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini is also reporting that the Jets and Broncos have agreed to split the guaranteed money for 2024.
So the #Jets clear $2.75M in cap space, meaning Wilson will count $8.43M on this year's cap in dead money. https://t.co/53hzuDISxP
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 22, 2024
The dead cap hit for Wilson consists of the 50% deal with the Broncos ($2,726,637) and the prorated signing bonus ($5,731,033). That totals $8,457,670. That will be a dead cap hit for the Jets. The trade also clears a roster space for a developmental quarterback in the draft.
This is the end of the Jets saga with Zach Wilson, and it also shows how the NFL Draft isn’t an exact science because that class was awful for the Jets. It’s also a little bit of a shocker the Jets were able to finally make this deal. They made it, and maybe Wilson will turn his career around in Denver, but it’s highly unlikely.
The Jets only have four players left on their roster from the 2021 NFL Draft. The players are Alijah Vera-Tucker, Michael Carter II, Jamien Sherwood, and Brandin Echols.
With the trade, the book is now closed on the Zach Wilson era in East Rutherford. Time will tell on how the story ends for Wilson, but the roller coaster ride is finally over, and the fans can get off the ride.
Main Image: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
