When the Jets line up against the Jaguars on Sunday, they’ll be looking across at a familiar sight in Jacksonville starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The Clemson star was long assumed to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, which the Jaguars made official this past spring. But Lawrence has struggled badly in his rookie year, throwing six touchdowns against 11 interceptions with a quarterback rating of just 66.4.
Wilson, selected directly behind Lawrence at second overall in the draft, has struggled himself as a rookie starter, and Jets head coach Robert Saleh hopes that seeing the two quarterbacks on the gridiron on Sunday provide a chance to remember the youth and inexperience of two quarterbacks that are loaded with talent and still have the potential to blossom into stars.
“I think it helps the fanbase and you guys as you write your stuff. It’s a good reminder for y’all, because we do tend to celebrate the anomalies, the [Justin] Herberts of the world,” Saleh said. “As far as rookie quarterbacks, this is usually what happens. They struggle. It’s not easy to come into this league and play quarterback at a high level, especially when you’re coming to a team that is kind of rebuilding.”
Both Lawrence and Wilson have struggled to show signs of growth throughout their debut season, with Wilson completing just 13 of 23 passes for 170 yards and no touchdowns in Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins, which included a disappearing act from Gang Green’s offense in the second half. But Saleh is sure to remind everyone that there are plenty of examples in NFL history that show a rough start doesn’t guarantee a rough career, and while some rookies have found immediate success, that is not the norm.
“It’s one thing if you’ve got an established roster or an established coaching staff that’s been around, for like Mac Jones’ situation, 20 years,” Saleh said. “There’s such a big difference in terms of all of it coming together for young men.”
Jets fans were certainly hoping for more evidence that Wilson is the team’s quarterback of the future, and the past four weeks have done little to inspire that hope, as the offense has taken a step back since Wilson returned from his PCL injury. But Saleh sees a quarterback capable of becoming the long-term solution that the franchise has coveted for decades, even if it is hard to see through the first 10 games of his career.
“What’s encouraging about Zach is he is learning so many different things and getting better at a lot of different things,” Saleh said. “He’s got to go through these tough moments.
This is different. I know he took six sacks [Sunday] but I promise you what he's going through is different than somebody who's getting just his butt kicked because he has no chance…this is so different.”
Sunday’s matchup will between a pair of teams who believe they drafted their new franchise quarterback, but many have their questions, particularly about Wilson, who has thrown zero touchdowns in five of his last six games. Lawrence himself threw four two weeks ago. But as for Wilson, Saleh’s assessment hasn’t changed, and he still believes the second overall pick will turn into the Jets’ franchise cornerstone.
“I think he’s going through a tremendous learning curve and it’s one that he’s going to be able to capture and learn off of and take into the offseason and grow off of,” Saleh said. “We’re really excited about where Zach is, and we’re really confident that his arrow is definitely pointing up, and he’s only going to get better.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
