Zach Wilson had an impressive game in the Denver Broncos’ final preseason game on Sunday, with fans convinced the New York Jets were to blame for his recent struggles.
Wilson was traded from the Jets to the Broncos earlier this year after a miserable three-year stay in New York, where he failed to live up to his promise as the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 25-year-old is expected to serve in Denver as a backup to rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who has already been confirmed as Sean Payton’s starting center for next season.
Still, he had a strong chance to dethrone Jarrett Stidham from second place on Sunday in the final exhibition game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Wilson led Denver on four scoring drives to cap off a perfect preseason with a 38-12 win over Arizona.
Zach Wilson played impressively in Denver Broncos’ final practice game
In his most extensive play this summer, the former Jet kicked off a touchdown drive with a 21-yard scramble and also threw a 46-yard touchdown on a frozen pass to Brandon Johnson as a beaten defender thwarted him as he raced into the end zone.
It was a good day at the office for Wilson and fans have been attacking the Jets on social media, accusing the club of not getting the best out of him in recent years.
One of them wrote: ‘I will never forgive the New York Jets for what they did to Zach Wilson.’
Another posted: ‘I mean I was told last year it was all Zach Wilson’s fault and he would be out of the league now. I guess Sean Payton might know more about football than the brainless idiots on Jets Twitter and the Jets media.’
A third asked: ‘So it wasn’t Zach Wilson, it was the Jets?’
While a fourth concluded: ‘Zach Wilson just shouldn’t have been drafted by the Jets lol because there is so much talent out there.’
Fans are furious with the New York Jets for not getting the best out of Wilson (Photo: Jets head coach Robert Saleh)
Several users took to X to criticize the Jets for wasting their former quarterback’s potential
Wilson has 33 NFL starts in his career and that experience was evident when he sparked an 11-play, 77-yard touchdown drive with an impressive scramble from his own 13 on second-and-20. He finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown toss to tight end Nate Atkins, who gave Denver a 14-0 lead.
His one-yard keeper capped an 88-yard drive that made it 24-6 in the third quarter, finding Johnson from 46 yards with 6:22 left.
Wilson completed 16 of 25 passes for 251 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in relief of Stidham, who led a 10-play, 55-yard drive by completing 2 of 4 passes for 28 yards.