FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets, exploring the quarterbacks available to be a veteran backup, met late Monday afternoon at their facility with 10-time Pro Bowl selection Russell Wilson, a source said Tuesday.
No contract is imminent, but Wilson is being considered, the source said.
Wilson, 37, is a free agent after playing one season for the New York Giants. He wants to continue playing, he said at the end of the season.
Coach Aaron Glenn has made it clear that Geno Smith, 35, acquired in a March trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, is the starting quarterback. The Jets don’t have an experienced backup. The other quarterbacks on the roster are Bailey Zappe (4-5 as a starter), Brady Cook (0-4) and rookie Cade Klubnik, drafted in the fourth round Saturday.
Team officials solicited Smith’s input on potential backups and he advocated for Wilson, the source said. They developed a good relationship as Seattle Seahawks teammates in 2020 and 2021. In those seasons, Smith served as Wilson’s backup before ascending to the No. 1 job in 2022, the year Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos.
At the time, Jets general manager Darren Mougey was a member of the Broncos’ front office. Mougey, Glenn and offensive coordinator Frank Reich met with Wilson on Monday.
In March, Mougey hinted there was interest in adding a veteran. At the conclusion of the draft, he indicated the quarterback “landscape hasn’t moved much” since March and that the plan was to “further evaluate it. So we’ll see in the coming weeks.”
The Jets’ 2025 backup, Tyrod Taylor, remains a free agent. Their 2025 starter, Justin Fields, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Wilson was the Giants’ opening-day starter in 2025, but he was benched in favor of rookie Jaxson Dart after three starts — all losses. In those starts, Wilson completed 65 of 110 passes for 778 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
He played only a smattering of snaps for the remainder of the season (nine pass attempts).
Wilson played 10 seasons with the Seahawks, who drafted him in 2012, leading them to a Super Bowl championship in the 2013 season. He played two seasons in Denver and one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2024) before joining the Giants in 2025.
