Wilson bounces back, sharp in 2nd practice
Quarterback shows ability to escape and improvise in workout
Florham Park, N.J. Now, that was more like it. Zach Wilson shook off a rough training camp debut by showing off the type of eyepopping playmaking ability that made him so coveted by the
New York Jets. And the No. 2 overall draft pick did it Saturday in front of plenty of excited fans.
And teammates.
“He’s doing things you’re not expecting him to do,” left tackle
Mekhi Becton said. “There’s a lot of things that he’s out there doing that you don’t expect him to do, so I can’t just key in on one thing.”
Such as scrambling to avoid a pass rush and then launching a pretty pass downfield to a streaking Elijah Moore for an 80-yard touchdown. Fans, who were able to attend practice for the first time since 2019, went wild. Meanwhile, Becton went over to Wilson and tapped him a few times on top of his helmet.
“I loved it,” Becton said. “I was just thinking to myself if we can give him time and he can make throws like that, we’re going to win a lot of games.”
That, of course, is the plan.
And the Jets expect Wilson to be a major reason for that success.
In the meantime, New York also knows there will be a few more days like Friday, when Wilson was shaky after missing the first two practices of camp while waiting to have his fouryear, $35.15 million rookie deal worked out.
“He’s going to have so many ebbs and flows, it’s going to drive us all crazy,” coach Robert Saleh said. “But it’s all part of a process of getting better. He was champing at the bit to get back out here and he’ll champ at the bit to get out there tomorrow.”
Maye’s future up in air
Marcus Maye was hoping for a long-term contract extension in the offseason. He instead got a whole lot of uncertainty.
The New York Jets safety received the franchise tag in March, but he and the team failed to reach an agreement on a deal before the deadline on July 15. That means Maye will play on the tag amount of $10.6 million this season — and then everything is up in the air beyond that.
“I’ll play where I’m welcome,” Maye said Saturday in his first meeting with reporters since last season. “I was drafted here. I’d love to be here.”
That, however, remains to be seen.