New York Jets

A shaky rookie season has the NFL tepid on the prospect of Zach Wilson becoming a franchise quarterback.

That said, he at least has the confidence of one opposing quarterbacks coach.

“Tell me one marquee player that he had around him last year,” the coach told Mike Sando of The Athletic. “I still think the sky’s the limit for this kid. He’s got some young weapons now, and I think they are going to be a lot better.”

Wilson ranked 28th among quarterbacks in Sando's leaguewide polling of coaches.

---

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feeds—including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

First-year general manager Joe Schoen knows he has a challenge ahead of him. The New York Giants were plagued by injuries a year ago, beginning in training camp. Saquon Barkley was never at 100 percent in 2021, while players like Kadarius Toney, Sterling Shepard and Daniel Jones all missed time.

By December, New York led the NFL in players on injured reserve. Schoen is well-aware that staying healthy will be a focal point during training camp and beyond.

"As roster attrition sets in, that's stressful, because there's 90 guys on 32 rosters, there's only so many players out there at each position that can still function in a camp," Schoen said, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. "It's always very stressful for me."

Stress over player health—a concern for all 32 NFL GMs—isn't the only sort Schoen will face this season, though. He and new head coach Brian Daboll are tasked with turning around a franchise that hasn't been above .500 in the last five years.

The Giants have also had losing campaigns in eight of the last 10 years.

Even granted good roster health, Schoen and Daboll are unlikely to find a quick fix in New York. The same is true for New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. Like the Giants, the NFL's other New York franchise has finished below .500 in eight of the past 10 seasons.

The Jets haven't been to the playoffs since 2010. Rex Ryan was the head coach. Mark Sanchez was the quarterback. Both are now employed as television analysts and have been for some time. That should give you an idea of just how long it's been since the Jets were relevant.

It's been a long time since the NFL has seen consistent quality football from either of its Big Apple franchises, and that's a problem for the league. But 2022 could mark the start of a New York resurgence.

Brighter Days Are on the Horizon

On paper, the Giants and Jets are both better than they were a year ago. While neither franchise went overboard in free agency, both made smart moves and had strong draft classes that can build the foundations for bright futures.

The Giants added two foundational players in offensive tackle Evan Neal and pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. With other young standouts such as Andrew Thomas, Leonard Williams, Azeez Ojulari and Dexter Lawrence on the roster, the Giants should be strong in the trenches.

The Giants further bolstered their line by adding Jon Feliciano and Mark Glowinski in free agency.

With strong offensive and defensive fronts, the Giants could be surprisingly good if running back Saquon Barkley returns to Pro Bowl form this season. That's an unknown, of course, but the Penn State product is at least healthy going into camp after a 2020 torn ACL and ankle injury last year.

"Saquon Barkley looked fresh upon his return, saying he feels like he can 'trust' his knee again and 'not think about it,'" Dan Salomone of the team's website wrote during minicamp.

The Giants also have an intriguing, if largely unproven, receiver group that features Kenny Golladay, Toney, Shepard and rookie Wan'Dale Robinson. If that group clicks, Big Blue could be a force.

The Jets, meanwhile, added four potential franchise players at the top of the draft, landing cornerback Sauce Gardner, receiver Garrett Wilson, pass-rusher Jermaine Johnson and running back Breece Hall.

"You could argue that the Jets got the best players in this draft class at three of the four most important positions in the game," Doug Farrar of USA Today wrote.

The Jets have a promising collection of skill players that includes Wilson, Hall, Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims and running back Michael Carter.

Douglas took a targeted approach to free agency, too, adding a pair of pass-catching tight ends in Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah plus guard Laken Tomlinson. With Tomlinson in the fold, Gang Green has three first-round picks—along with Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker—on the offensive line.

Of course, neither franchise can be considered a legitimate contender until it solves its quarterback position. The Jets are perhaps in a better place there, if only because we've seen less of Zach Wilson than Jones.

Wilson was a borderline disaster as a rookie in 2021, finishing with nine touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 69.7 quarterback rating. However, his physical upside is tremendous.

Cornerback D.J. Reed said of Wilson, per Jack Bell of the team's website:

"I remember him out of BYU, a baller. He did some crazy stuff at BYU—off balance, cross shoulder, on one play he jumped over a dude to make a throw. His arm strength is phenomenal, he can throw out routes from the other hash. His arm strength and accuracy are really elite, I think."

A vastly improved supporting cast should put Wilson on the right trajectory. Think of Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who showed incremental growth in his second season before exploding as a Pro Bowler in 2020. Those signs of growth are what Jets fans could start to see from their quarterback this season.

The Giants largely know what they have in Jones, which is a similarly gifted quarterback who hasn't yet reached his potential. Since the Giants declined Jones' fifth-year option, the 25-year-old Duke product is entering a make-or-break fourth season.

On the positive side, Daboll helped make Allen the star quarterback he is. He may unlock similar potential from Jones. If he cannot, the Giants will at least be able to move on and take another crack at finding their franchise quarterback.

One way or another, Big Blue should get clarity on Jones' future in 2022. That would be good for the long-term growth of the franchise.

Why a New York Resurgence Would Matter

Here's where we point out that the Jets and Giants don't actually play in New York City. MetLife Stadium, which the two franchises share, is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey—a fact that even became the basis for a lawsuit filed this year by local fans demanding that "New York" be dropped from the franchises' names.

However, the Jets and Giants are part of the New York television market, which is the largest city in the country by a considerable margin.

According to World Population Report, New York has more than 8.6 million residents, more than twice the population of America's second-largest city, Los Angeles.

The National Football League is in the business of making money, and good football in New York is good for business. It helps raise advertising revenue, sell tickets and sell merchandise. Loyal fanbases will keep the revenue streams open, but the league would likely prefer the Jets and Giants to be national brands.

Consider the fact that the Jets and Giants combined for just eight wins in 2021 and eight the previous season. Yet, they had a combined five nationally televised games in 2021 and will have four in 2022—pending late-season flexing.

There will be multiple times this season when a Jersey-based team is one of only two playing. The NFL doesn't want those games to be ones fans are eager to pass on.

Having quality football in those marquee matchups is also good for many fans, especially those who are starved for NFL action and will consume just about any product the league offers. It will benefit no one if, for example, the December 22 Thursday night matchup between the Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars is a snoozefest.

And the AFC East and NFC East are more interesting divisions when the Jets and Giants are respectable.

The AFC East sent the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills to the postseason in 2021. Its NFC counterpart sent the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The Miami Dolphins were a nine-win team that could be a threat after adding head coach Mike McDaniel and star receiver Tyreek Hill. The Washington Commanders won their division two years ago and added quarterback Carson Wentz this season, who is at least an improvement over Taylor Heinicke.

Those races will be a lot less fun if the Giants and Jets can be automatically pegged as irrelevant. They largely have been over the last decade, but that should change this year.

Setting Realistic 2022 Expectations

Let's be perfectly clear. The Giants and Jets aren't going to suddenly find success just because it's good for business, ratings or the fans. It's going to take work, patience and, most likely, time.

Yes, we saw the Cincinnati Bengals come out of nowhere to win the AFC last season. However, the Bengals caught lightning in a way that rarely happens in the NFL—they also found a star quarterback in Joe Burrow and emerged from an AFC North ravaged by injuries and inconsistency.

This is what Giants and Jets fans need to keep in mind. This season could be the start of turnarounds in New York, but it's unlikely to see either franchise challenging for a Super Bowl. There are too many uncertainties and a high degree of difficulty. The NFC East and AFC East each sent two teams to the postseason last year. There will be no easy path in either division.

This isn't to say that neither New York team will make the playoffs. One of our NFL experts picked the Giants to win their division.

Overall, though, this year will be about improvement and addressing major questions.

Will Wilson show enough growth to earn the Jets' confidence entering 2023? Will Daboll revitalize Jones' career and erase the Giants' biggest question mark? Will next offseason be the one in which the Jets and Giants start really building instead of rebuilding?

We're going to get answers in 2022. Meanwhile, the Jets and Giants should inch closer to respectability and winning records. Most importantly, we should see good, solid football from both franchises this season.

For New York fans, casual fans and the NFL as a whole, that will be a wonderful place to start.

Free-agent defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is reportedly visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday after previously meeting with the New York Jets, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 28-year-old spent last season with the Cincinnati Bengals, totaling seven sacks with 49 tackles in 16 starts.

Ogunjobi had initially agreed to sign with the Chicago Bears on a three-year, $40.5 million contract, but he later failed his physical, and the deal was voided.

"This is difficult and it is emotional for everyone involved, but ultimately is what is in the best interest of protecting the Chicago Bears," general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement.

Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury in the Bengals' playoff win over the Las Vegas Raiders, requiring surgery while preventing him from playing in the team's final three postseason games, including the Super Bowl.

Poles said in March he would be open to signing Ogunjobi under a new contract, via Adam Hoge of CHGO Sports.

There is seemingly now renewed interest in the defensive tackle, who is looking to prove he is back to full strength.

The 2017 third-round pick has started all 62 games he has played over the last four years with the Bengals and Cleveland Browns, totaling 20.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in this stretch.

Pittsburgh already has elite pass-rushers in T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward, but another interior rusher could bring more balance to a defense that ranked 24th in total yards allowed and 20th in points allowed last season. Ogunjobi could also strengthen a unit that ranked dead last against the rush.

The Jets have an even bigger need defensively after giving up the most points in the NFL in 2021.

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson got some advice from a helpful source after making his NFL debut.

The MMQB's Albert Breer reported Wilson spoke with four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Wilson explained to Rodgers how he was going over tape after finishing 20-of-37 for 258 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 19-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Per Breer, Rodgers suggested that was the wrong course of action because the rookie was unnecessarily overwhelming himself.

Breer wrote how it was reflective of a larger issue for Wilson, who "had too much going through his head" and was "trying to do too much too fast."

The 22-year-old struggled as a rookie, finishing with 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 13 starts. He completed just 55.6 percent of his passes and was sacked 44 times.

Many figured Wilson to be a bit of a project when he was coming out of BYU, though, so some early hiccups weren't totally unexpected. And the exchange with Rodgers shows how much the adjustment to the NFL extends beyond reading defenses and making quicker decisions in the pocket.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh was careful to manage expectations for his young signal-caller, but Wilson should be in a nice position to take a step forward in his development in 2022.

Just two seasons into his NFL career, New York Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton appears to be tired of hearing people already label him as a bust.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday wearing a T-shirt apparently aimed at the skeptics, Becton said he will make anyone writing him off "eat their words."

#Jets OT Mekhi Becton showed up to his press conference wearing a shirt that says "BIG BUST" & surrounded with words like "Fat, lazy, injury prone, out of shape."

Becton doesn't understand why people are writing him off. "I'll make them eat their words."pic.twitter.com/ryWVdKAvnc

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 15, 2022

Becton's 2021 season came to an end in Week 1 when he suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery.

Per ESPN's Rich Cimini, Becton's weight rose "to at least 400 pounds" last season while he was rehabbing his knee issue. The 6'7" Becton weighed 363 pounds at the scouting combine in 2020.

Ann Claiborne, Becton's nutritionist, told Cimini they were able to get his weight down into the 300s.

"It does make it more of a challenge when he's not able to train like he normally would, but he's definitely in the 300s and we're going to continue to work to keep his weight down and allow him to heal," Claiborne said.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters in February that Becton and George Fant, who started 15 games last season, will compete for the starting left tackle job in 2022.

"As I've told George Fant, he has a chance to maintain that position," Saleh said. "It's the same thing for Mekhi Becton. He has to come in and reassert himself into the starting lineup."

Saleh didn't address questions about Becton's weight on Wednesday, but did say he expects the 23-year-old to be ready for training camp.

The Jets selected Becton with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He appeared in 14 games as a rookie and ranked 13th among all left tackles in pass protection, per Pro Football Focus' Anthony Treash.

Becton has a massive ceiling at one of the most important positions on the field. The Louisville alum has plenty of questions to answer as he looks to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup, but it sounds like the Jets will give him every chance to do that when camp opens in July.

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh isn't counting on Zach Wilson to be the greatest quarterback in NFL history, at least not yet.

"He doesn't need to be Tom Brady this year," Saleh told reporters Wednesday. "If he ends up being that, that's awesome. That's not the expectation. The expectation is for him to continue to climb the mountain."

Wilson didn't break through at BYU until his third season, and he was far from the finished product when he arrived in the NFL last year. His transition to the pros was never going to be seamless.

Even taking that into account, Wilson's rookie season left something to be desired. He threw for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 55.6 percent of his passes in 13 starts. The 22-year-old was also sacked 44 times, losing an NFL-high 370 yards.

Wilson finished reasonably strong, though. He had 593 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and an 82.6 quarterback rating over the final four weeks.

Jets receiver Braxton Berrios was encouraged by what he saw from his starting quarterback during OTAs.

"It's a different world coming into Year 2 in the NFL, seeing what he's seen obviously," Berrios told reporters. "We saw that in the first half and second half of the year. And then being reintroduced to the same offense, nothing is truly new to him. He looks a lot more comfortable. Everything's a little quicker and he obviously commands the huddle really well now."

Saleh's comments underscore how expectations around Wilson remain tempered, in part because the Jets aren't expected to be all that good themselves. New York was 26th in Bleacher Report's NFL power rankings in May.

Wilson doesn't need to light up opposing secondaries. A bump in his efficiency and yardage will count as progress.

One month after it was confirmed he will wear the No. 1, New York Jets rookie Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner has revealed what it took to get it.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Gardner said he had to pay D.J. Reed $50,000 to get him to hand over the number.

Jets rookie CB Sauce Gardner will wear number 1️⃣ . He said today he paid veteran CB D.J. Reed $50,000 for the number.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) June 14, 2022

Gardner's number became a significant issue immediately after the draft. He wore the No. 20 during Jets' rookie minicamp last month, but it seemed pretty clear that wasn't going to stick.

"Jets fans, do not order my jersey until it’s official," Gardner wrote in a since-deleted tweet (h/t Geoff Magliocchetti of JetsXFactor.com). "I wish I could tell y’all what number I’m wearing, but I really don’t know yet. Just be patient, you’ll know real soon!!"

The Jets officially announced on May 10 that Gardner would wear the No. 1:

At cornerback,
from the University Of Cincinnati,

Number 1@iamSauceGardner pic.twitter.com/wTUyQ5CEtU

— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 10, 2022

The move isn't going to hurt Gardner's bottom line too much. His four-year rookie contract is worth a total of $33.45 million, including a $21.51 million signing bonus to be paid in four annual installments.

Reed showed tremendous business acumen with this whole scenario. He only took the No. 1 upon signing with the Jets as a free agent in March. The 25-year-old has never worn that number in his first four seasons in the NFL. He used No. 32 with the San Francisco 49ers (2018-19), Nos. 29 (2020), 2 and 9 (both in 2021) with the Seattle Seahawks.

After having the No. 1 with the Jets for less than two months, Reed was able to turn that into an additional $50,000. He got that on top of the three-year, $33 million the Jets paid him in free agency.

Gardner used the No. 1 during his three-year stint at the University of Cincinnati. It worked out for him, as he was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in 2021.