Ryan Fitzpatrick knows a lot about playing quarterback in the NFL, and a little about doing it for the Jets, who he piloted to a 13-14 record over 27 starts in 2015-16.
And what he sees from the current Jets’ starter, Zach Wilson, is a talented quarterback with a lot to learn still…and one that has been “coddled” perhaps too much by the team so far.
“They drafted him so high for a reason, and I think they’re really excited and they’ve surrounded him with a lot of good talent,” Fitzpatrick said of Wilson and the Jets on an Amazon conference call Tuesday. “Sometimes, these young quarterbacks, especially the ones who get drafted so high, get put into situations where there’s just not a whole lot around them. But this is a team I’ve been very impressed with how they’re building, how fast their defense is, and the playmakers they’ve surrounded him with.”
That said, Wilson’s performance on Sunday wasn’t indicative of a quarterback comfortable in the offense, and one who clearly didn’t learn from watching earlier this season in Fitzpatrick’s mind.
“He was afforded some time at the beginning of this season to sit back and watch, to watch somebody who has been successful and done it for a long time in Joe Flacco to see the things he did, how he prepared for a game, and how they made adjustments during the game,” Fitzpatrick said. “He just has to get into a better flow now of understanding what that team needs from him. Some of those wild throws off his back foot and the scrambles…this is a good enough team to where they don’t need that.”
Related
Fitzpatrick believes there is a lot of good and a lot of excitement in Wilson’s physical tools, noting his big arm and mobility, but he’s not as convinced on the mental side – going so far as calling the Jets bringing in John Beck, a former BYU and NFL QB who worked with Wilson at his academy in California, onto the staff to help Wilson last season a “giant red flag.”
“That scared me last year, when they called in John Beck to come and help get his mind right during the season and put him on staff. To me that was a giant red flag,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t know Zach Wilson, but that scares me a little bit. I know they were trying to help him and do whatever they could to get his mentals right and to match everything with his physicals, but that one scared me a little bit, to have to fly somebody in to make sure that he was okay and coddle him a little bit.”
So, with Sunday in the rear-view what can the Jets and Wilson do now going forward?
“He has to play better, and I think this is a nice wake-up call for him that to know that they have a good football team, and they don’t need him to do those things he was doing on Sunday to make those mistakes,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s had some injuries, and for sure, they’re going to give him the chance the rest of this year and probably next year, too, but he has to show some improvement.”
Related
That wake-up call comes with a longer leash, as Fitzpatrick opined, but the final quote was the killer for Jets fans still expecting Wilson to be the savior:
“It’s so exciting to watch him when you see the good,” he said, “but he still has to learn how to play quarterback in the NFL.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
Listen live to WFAN via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker
Follow WFAN on Social Media:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch