Garrett Wilson has spent his Jets career carrying far more than his share of the load, and one number now drives that point home in a brutal way.
Jets X Factor’s Michael Nania pointed out on X that the receiver with the most career receiving yards for New York besides Wilson is Allen Lazard. Lazard has 911 yards.
Wilson has 3,644. As Nania put it: "Since he was drafted, the Jets' second-leading WR is...
Allen Lazard, with 911 yards. That's exactly 25% of Wilson's yardage in his career (3,644) .
You can't judge this guy on his stats when he's dealt with having no complementary pieces AND bad QBing."
That kind of gap says plenty about the environment Wilson has played in. He’s been the Jets’ most productive player over the last few years, and the offense looked like a different operation once he went down with a season-ending knee injury last season.
When Wilson got hurt in Week 6 against the Denver Broncos, he was already the team’s leading receiver. By the end of the year, he still led the Jets in yards even though he hadn’t caught a pass since October.
The quarterback situation has obviously played a role, but so has the lack of help around him. Wilson has managed three straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his career despite working with Zach Wilson, Mike White, Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers.
The encouraging part for New York is that Wilson may finally have more around him now. The Jets have added more depth at receiver this offseason, with Adonai Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr. and Tim Patrick backing him up.
There’s also more to draw attention away from Wilson at tight end, where rookie Kenyon Sadiq and second-year player Mason Taylor are in the mix.
In Other News...
Jets Get Early Injury Update On Three Players In Key Camp Battles
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Aaron Glenns update offered some short-term clarity, even if it did not put all the questions to bed. The coach said none of the three is likely to get back on the field this week, but he also indicated he does not expect the absences to linger much longer. For a roster that is already trying to settle multiple position battles, the timing matters, since every missed practice can nudge a player a little farther behind in a camp where reps are at a premium. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Tippmann Deal Shows Why Jets Fans Should Trust Darren Mougey
The Jets have spent the early part of the offseason locking in pieces they clearly value, and the latest move only adds to the sense that Darren Mougey is working with a longer view than most front offices. After securing Breece Hall on a three-year, $43.5 million extension, the team turned around and kept guard Joe Tippmann in the fold on a four-year deal worth $62 million, another sign that the new general manager is trying to build around young, productive players before the market pushes the price even higher.
Tippmann's contract is especially interesting because it lands in a spot that looks sturdy for the Jets without feeling reckless, even when stacked against other big-money guard deals around the league. Atlanta's Matthew Bergeron got a much larger contract despite Tippmann drawing the more appealing cost-effective comparison, and that is the kind of roster-building detail Jets fans should notice. Mougey has been proactive with these extensions, and so far the approach suggests a front office trying to avoid the kind of salary-cap mistakes that can haunt a team for years. [Read more 🡒]