After a difficult season in which the Jets finished 7-10, Garrett Wilson called last year “the worst year” of his life.
Four months after displaying his feelings about the 2023 campaign, Wilson says he used that time to reflect and work on different aspects of his game.
“I felt like I had to get my feet back under me, my head right,” Wilson said. “Improve on some of the things I wanted to improve on before we got back here. Being a little stronger, playing at a high weight.
“Just disconnect a little bit when you have your time to spend with family, spend with love ones and people that care about you. You gotta embrace it, you gotta go do it and see the world. I’m blessed to be in this position, so I want to reap some of the benefits when I have the time and I feel like that’s the only way to go about it.
“When you get that opportunity to disconnect, you got to do it so you can reconnect when the time comes.”
Wilson’s frustration wasn’t because of his performance on the field. During his first two seasons in the league, Wilson averaged 89 receptions for 1,072 yards and 3.5 touchdowns and was named 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. That included last season when Wilson finished with 95 catches for 1,042 yards and three touchdowns.
The frustration stemmed from the Jets’ lack of results in the last two seasons. The Jets’ expectations were through the roof after acquiring Aaron Rodgers from the Packers a year ago. However, Gang Green finished 7-10 for the second consecutive season following Rodgers’ Achilles tear four snaps into the season opener against the Bills last September.
The Jets also finished 31st in total yards and 29th in scoring in their first season under offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
This offseason, Wilson has been in the gym getting stronger. His body is also noticeably slimmer than a year ago.
Wilson switched back to No. 5 this offseason, the same number he wore at Ohio State.
“Just continue the maturation process,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said about Wilson’s next steps. “Year 3 is usually when these young kids figure it out.
“He’s been phenomenal his first two years, but Year 3 is when they learn the balance between their newfound fame, the money in their bank account, the social media stuff, the branding, the family part of it, and the football part of it. They learn how to balance all of that, so they keep the main thing the main thing, which is being a great football player.
“Garrett comes from a great background, great family and he’s always had his head on straight. I think just going into year 3 knowing the game the way he knows it now, I think sky’s the limit for him.”
During the early portions of OTAs, Wilson’s chemistry with Rodgers hasn’t skipped a beat. On Wednesday, he made an exciting diving catch on a short pass from Rodgers.
Wilson has also been Rodgers’ security blanket during practices. A year ago, Wilson was trying to gain chemistry and rapport with Rodgers and learn Hackett’s new offensive system.
Wilson could have a career year for the Jets if Rodgers remains healthy. The last time Rodgers played with a receiver as talented as Wilson was Davante Adams when they were with the Packers (2014-21). From 2018-21, Adams averaged 108 receptions, 1,327.5 yards and 11.8 touchdowns.
“We are able to have some conversations that we would’ve been able to have initially at this time of the year,” Wilson said about his relationship with Rodgers. “There’s tougher conversations where we might disagree or we do agree.
“He always has his two cents on it, which is the best two cents I’ve heard. But me being who I am, I’m going to throw my two cents in. But it’s been awesome.
“He’s a resource for me, a person that I can bounce my thoughts off of. Now, I feel more comfortable and bring certain things up. You never want to come off too strong, but I’m a curious guy, and I have a lot of questions, and I like to talk about the game. Come to find out, he’s the exact same.”
PRACTICE REPORT
Wednesday was the second media availability of OTAs, and Rodgers was solid. Overall, he was 6-for-10 on 11-on-11 drills and 5-for-7 in 7-on-7 work. But Rodgers’ four incompletions came during the last few sessions.
Rodgers went 1-of-5 during that span, which included an Allen Lazard drop. Lazard also whiffed on a back-shoulder throw by Rodgers near the end zone.
However, Wilson had a gorgeous diving catch on a pass from Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP also completed a fantastic pass over the middle to tight end Kenny Yeboah in stride.
In addition to Rodgers, rookie running back Braelon Allen showcased his potential with a few impressive runs and displayed soft hands coming out of the backfield. With an expected competition for the backup running back role behind Breece Hall, Allen is emerging as a promising option out of the backfield.
Rookie Isaiah Davis will also compete for the backup running back job behind Hall. Davis also showed off his hands and burst out of the backfield.
Rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley left Wednesday’s practice early after being escorted by a trainer. He returned but observed the rest of the practice from the side.
After not attending last week’s OTA, which was opened to the media, Quinnen Williams participated in Wednesday’s practice. Hall was on the field but worked out in the rehab area.
