Garrett Wilson says he isn’t asking the Jets to trade him. But he’s not pretending winning matters less than staying, either.
With the NFL’s Nov. 10 trade deadline bearing down and his name caught up in trade rumors as New York’s season collapses, the star receiver addressed his future after practice Wednesday.
“I wanna be here, man,” Wilson said. “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 Wilson’s time with the team has been a steady exercise in waiting for things to turn around. They haven’t.
“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.”
Not Getting the Ball
Beyond the losing record, Wilson has gone long stretches without being targeted by quarterback Geno Smith this season, a pattern unusual for a receiver of his caliber. In Sunday’s 28-25 loss to the Dolphins, he was targeted just three times — tied for fourth most on the team — and 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.”
Asked about watching other top receivers around the league get fed the ball consistently, Wilson didn’t dodge it.
“Sometimes it’s frustrating, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Wilson said. “But also account for the fact that every situation is different. I’ll just leave it at that. Every situation is different.”
Smith Pushes Back
Smith defended his decision-making Wednesday, pointing to the Jets’ overall passing efficiency Sunday.
“I read the defense, I make the decisions based on what I see,” Smith 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.”
The comments come roughly a year after the Jets traded away Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, a move that still looms over the organization’s roster decisions.
No Need to Spell It Out
Despite the swirling rumors, Wilson said he hasn’t felt the need to personally reassure 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 went further: “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.”
Wilson wants to win more than he wants anything else. Right now, the Jets aren’t giving him much of either.
