Ryan Fitzpatrick says the jury is still out on Zach Wilson.
Fitzpatrick started 147 games in an NFL career that spanned from 2005 through 2021, including a two-season stop with the Jets. He is now a studio analyst for “Thursday Night Football.”
After Wilson threw three interceptions in a loss to the Patriots on Sunday amid a sophomore season of relative inconsistency, The Post asked Fitzpatrick what he would advise the Jets regarding if Wilson is the starter of the future or if the hourglass is already dwindling.
“Well, they drafted him so high for a reason,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think they’re really excited and they’ve surrounded him with a lot of good talent. Sometimes, these young quarterbacks, especially the ones that get drafted high, get put in situations where there’s just not a whole lot around them. This is a team where I’ve been very impressed with how they’re building, how fast their defense is, the playmakers they’ve surrounded him with.
“And he was afforded some time at the beginning of this season to sit back and watch someone who’s been successful and done it for a long time in Joe Flacco, to see the things he does to prepare for a game, the adjustments during the game and he [Wilson] just has to get into a better flow now of understanding what the 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.”
Then, Fitzpatrick brought up a “giant red flag.”
“That being said, one of the biggest question marks I’ve had about him, and the thing that scared me last year, is when they called John Beck, his personal quarterback coach, to come out and help get his mind right during the season, and put him on staff,” Fitzpatrick said. “To me, that was a giant red flag. I don’t know Zach Wilson, but that scares me a little bit.
“I know they were doing whatever they could to get his mentals right, and to match everything with his physicals, but that one scared me a little bit — having to fly someone in to make sure he was OK, and coddle him a little bit. He has to play better and this is a nice wake-up call for him to know that they have a good football team, and they don’t need him to do those things he was doing on Sunday, making those mistakes.”
How long a leash would Fitzpatrick give Wilson to get those matters sorted out?
“He’s gotta play better,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s had some injuries. For sure through this year, and they’re gonna give him a chance next year as well. He’s gotta show improvement. It’s so exciting to see him [sometimes]. There is good. He’s got great mobility. He’s got a great arm. But he still has to learn to play quarterback in the National Football League.”