Tim Patrick didn’t just praise Garrett Wilson on Sunday - he said out loud what Jets fans have been shouting for a while.
Wilson’s talent has never really been the question in New York. The real issue has been how often the Jets actually feed him. That contrast showed up again over the last two weeks, with the offense looking stuck in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears and then opening things up much more against the Cleveland Browns.
Against Chicago, the Jets had one of their roughest offensive showings in recent memory. They struggled to stay on the field, couldn’t sustain drives, and Wilson finished with just three catches for 27 yards.
A week later, the approach was noticeably different. New York made a point of getting Wilson involved early against Cleveland, and the results came immediately.
On the opening drive, he caught three passes for 70 yards and scored the first touchdown of the game. He ended the day with seven receptions for 107 yards.
It could have been an even bigger afternoon if the Jets hadn’t moved away from him in the first half. Still, the message was clear: this offense looks completely different when Wilson is at the center of it.
Patrick put that into plain English after the win, and he didn’t hold back.
"Having a front row seat to it, he's even better than I thought," Patrick said via The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. "The way he caught the ball in the rain yesterday, I don't think people understand how hard that is.
We go as far as Garrett goes. He's our best offensive player."
That’s the kind of public endorsement Jets fans have been waiting to hear, especially from a veteran in the locker room. Wilson has too often looked underused, particularly in losses, and the offense’s rhythm tends to swing depending on whether he’s getting touches.
Through the first five games of 2026, Wilson has 31 catches for 374 yards and three touchdowns. Even with those numbers, it still feels light for a player of his caliber. He’s reached double-digit targets in only two of New York’s first five games.
Patrick said it plainly, and the Jets would be wise to act on it: Wilson is their best offensive player, and they need to keep using him like it.
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Patricks optimism matters because it comes from inside a unit that still has plenty to prove. The Jets offensive rankings remain near the bottom, yet the mood around the building is not matching the numbers, and that internal confidence is starting to feel like a real part of the story as the team works its way back toward full strength. [Read more 🡒]