The New York Jets have found themselves under the media spotlight as quarterback Zach Wilson faced a storm of rumors about his current position with the team.
The New York Jets have lost five straight games since starting the season 4-3, and they are seeing their odds to make the playoffs quickly dwindle.
The Jets benched quarterback Zach Wilson for Tim Boyle in hopes it would improve the offense, but Boyle was then replaced by Trevor Siemian and the team eventually parted ways with Boyle and signed Brett Rypien from the Seahawks practice squad.
A report would soon surface that stated Zach Wilson was reluctant to step back in under center. Dianna Russini reported that Aaron Rodgers reached out to the young quarterback in an effort to advise him to play, but Wilson reportedly remained apprehensive due to injury risk.
Rodgers repeatedly said he “loves” Wilson and had strong words for whoever the source was.
“When you use sources and whether intentional or unintentional to try and assassinate someone’s character like that report does for Zach I have a real hard time with that. … You’re basically saying that this kid is quitting on the team and doesn’t wanna play and is giving the middle finger to the organization,” Rodgers said.
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During an appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Russini was asked about being called out by Rodgers on The Pat McAfee Show.
She revealed that she has been dealing with a ton of backlash from Jets fans.
“My week is trash, it’s horrendous. I’m in the New York market, so I’m in the vortex of it all,” Russini said. “I also get to hear it from Jets fans when I drop my kids off at daycare. Look, when you’ve been doing this a long time and you become a credible person covering the league, you hope that because of all the past stories you’ve done that you’ve built this trust with the audience and the fans. But I realized over the last few days, it’s not that they don’t believe the report is accurate. They know the report is accurate, the story is just unbelievable. That’s where the issue is.”
Despite the backlash she has received, this is a mess the Jets created for themselves.
Robert Saleh didn’t do Wilson any favors by not only benching him but also moving him all the way down to the third string behind Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian.
While Rodgers remains in his corner, it’s difficult to see Wilson’s time in the Big Apple extending beyond this season.
