New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson addressed swirling trade rumors following practice on Wednesday, stating he has no intention of asking the team to move him ahead of the November 10 trade deadline. However, the star pass-catcher emphasized that his desire to win games supersedes his overall contentment with the franchise.
“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.”
At 2-5, the Jets are enduring another difficult campaign, leaving their chances of meaningful football this season extremely slim. Wilson admitted that persistent losing has continually tested his optimism over the past three to four years, making weekly defeats increasingly painful.
Beyond the team’s struggles, Wilson’s limited involvement in the offense has emerged as a major storyline. During Sunday’s 28-25 loss to the Dolphins, Wilson was targeted only three times—tying for fourth most on the team—and cameras captured him appearing animated on the sideline. He acknowledged that the lack of targets and his inability to properly impact games while losses mount has been deeply frustrating.
“No doubt,” Wilson said. “I’d be lying if I said it’s not. 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.”
Wilson also noted that watching top receivers across the league consistently receive heavy target shares adds to his exasperation, though he acknowledged that every situation differs.
Quarterback Geno Smith defended his distribution of the football on Wednesday, explaining that his decisions are guided by what he reads from opposing defenses.
“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, 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 that while he always aims to get Wilson the ball as much as possible, he must remain mindful of defensive schemes.
The timing of the speculation coincides with the approach of the trade deadline and arrives nearly a year after the Jets traded away Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner last season. Despite the external chatter, Wilson stated that he has not felt the need to reiterate his commitment to head coach Aaron Glenn or general manager Darren Mougey, believing his stance is already understood.
“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.”
