Chiefs’ Willie Gay latest to critique Zach Wilson ahead of Week 4 clash with Jets. What did he say?
Ahead of the team’s Week 4 clash with the New York Jets, one Kansas City Chiefs player gave his thoughts on Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. He wasn’t so kind.
Clearly in a bind following the loss of their star quarterback, the Jets have now turned to their backup. The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has not enjoyed a great start to life in the league and has been heavily criticized recently. Ahead of Sunday’s game, the critique has continued.
Willie Gay’s jab at Zach Wilson gives context
Following their Week 3 blowout 41-10 win against the Chicago Bears, the Kansas City Chiefs are now set to face the New York Jets in what was supposed to be a marquee matchup between the defending Super Bowl champions and the talk-of-the-town Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets. Sadly, that will no longer be the case after a tear to his Achilles tendon just 4 snaps into his debut with the Jets in Week 1, brought an end to Rodgers’ season. Understandably, that was a major blow to a team that came into this season with ambitions of making a title run.
As for the Chiefs, while they wouldn’t have necessarily had reason to fear the Jets, it goes without saying that they have increased confidence, knowing that they won’t have to face the four-time MVP. Indeed, that idea was made clear by Chiefs linebacker, Willie Gay, who was asked by the media what he’s learned from watching footage of a Wilson-led Jets offense. “That was a hard question. I can’t lie,” Gay said. “A team that wants to run the ball.” To be fair to Gay, he did state that he wasn’t trying to be funny, but was rather referring to the ‘panic mode’ that the Jets have entered following the loss of Rodgers. Still, Ouch.
No love for Zach Wilson
It’s worth noting that Gay’s comments follow on from those made recently by Jets Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Namath, who declared that he had “seen enough” of Wilson at quarterback. Incidentally, Aaron Rodgers actually came to Wilson’s defense, saying to those who critique the team such as Namath, “You’re not helping the cause.” Adding further fuel to the fire, we’ve also seen musician J.Cole who took to social media on Wednesday to post a letter written by Colin Kaepernick to the Jets. In the letter, the former 49ers quarterback asked to be signed by the franchise. While nothing materialized, the Jets did in fact sign veteran signal-caller Trevor Siemian, though head coach Robert Saleh maintained that Wilson would continue to start, a stance that is understood to be dividing the locker room.
Zach Wilson has got to come good
Regardless of where you stand on Wilson, one has to be honest about the numbers. Since he took over as starter, the Jets have lost two consecutive games. For his part, the 24-year-old has posted 467 passing yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, and has been sacked on eight occasions so far for the season. His 57.0 passer rating is currently the worst among NFL starting quarterbacks, while the Jets as a team have the last-ranked offense in the league as well as the worst-scoring offense. Not a good look to say the least. This is all to say, that while some of the critique aimed at the young quarterback may be harsh, the reality is this is the NFL and the pressure to perform is constant. Whether they run the ball or not, Wilson and the Jets are going to have to perform in a way they haven’t so far if they are going to beat the Chiefs on Sunday night.