Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson said Wednesday he has no intention of asking the team to trade him, even as his name circulates in rumors ahead of the NFL’s Nov. 10 trade deadline. But he made clear that his patience is tied directly to one thing: winning.
“I wanna be here, man,” Wilson said after practice. “I want to win games. That’s the one thing we’ve been missing on here. I love it here. Do I love it more than I love winning? Naw, to be completely honest.”
The Jets are 2-5, and their playoff hopes are all but gone. Wilson, now in his fourth NFL season, has built his career on optimism that better days are ahead, even as that outlook keeps getting tested.
“But I’m hopeful,” Wilson said. “I’ve never been the best, like, optimistic guy, but I’ve found a way, I’ve dug deep and I’ve been optimistic for three, four, five years now and that’s why these [losses] each weekend hurt a little more.”
Frustration Over Targets
Beyond the team’s record, Wilson has been open about his frustration with how often he’s used in the offense. Quarterback Geno Smith has gone through long stretches without targeting him, an unusual pattern for a receiver of Wilson’s caliber.
In Sunday’s 28-25 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Wilson was targeted just three times, tied for fourth-most on the team. Television cameras caught him visibly frustrated on the sideline.
“No doubt,” Wilson said when asked if the lack of targets bothers him. “I’d be lying if I said it’s not [frustrating]. But at the end of the day, it comes down to winning and losing. Just throughout my experience, when things go right, I tend to have a part in that. When it doesn’t, it seems avoidable. That’s my main frustration, that maybe shows on the TV or something like that.”
He added: “But I don’t want it to ever be misconstrued. It all comes from a place in my heart of wanting to win. I am biased, but it also comes from experience where I played my part in that. I’ll say that. It’s frustrating for sure, because I want to have an impact and I want to help the team. Really, I just want to help the team.”
Wilson acknowledged watching other top receivers around the league get consistently heavy workloads. “Sometimes it’s frustrating, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” he said. “But also account for the fact that every situation is different. I’ll just leave it at that. Every situation is different.”
Smith’s Response
Smith defended his decision-making when asked about the target distribution Wednesday. “I read the defense, I make the decisions based on what I see,” he said. “If you’ve ever played quarterback, you know there’s a lot that goes into it. As I’m out there playing, I’m always trying to make the best decision for the team while focusing on getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers. I thought [Omar Cooper Jr.] had a great game [on Sunday], I thought Mason [Taylor] had a great game and we completed 70 percent of our passes. There’s only one football on the field.”
Smith added: “Garrett’s a guy that, I’ve always said this, I’m looking to get him the football as much as I can, but gotta be mindful of what the defense is doing as well.”
No Need to Say It Out Loud
Wilson’s comments come roughly a year after the Jets traded away star defenders Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner. Despite swirling trade speculation surrounding his own name, Wilson said he hasn’t felt the need to directly tell head coach Aaron Glenn or general manager Darren Mougey that he wants to stay.
“I feel like it’s understood,” Wilson said. “We’ve had talks throughout their two years here, they know how I operate as well. I would kind of just say it’s out there, that’s the world, but it’s not like we’re moving around in here like we’re accounting for it. I don’t let that bleed into when I get in this facility. I don’t. It’s about getting better at football each day, trying to help this team win.”
He added: “It’s just out of my control. I don’t like to waste too much thought power on it. … Our job as football players is, every time we take that football field, leave no doubt. Right now, we’re leaving doubt. And that’s where narratives come in and people can talk. That’s the world.”
