Ryan Clark Rips Jets Chances Of Winning With Quarterback Zach Wilson

Retired NFL safety Ryan Clark appears to have zero confidence in the New York Jets — as long as Zach Wilson remains their quarterback.

Wilson was not expected to be the Jets’ starting quarterback, but when Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1, the 24-year-old was thrust back into the role.

“When you have a guy like Zach Wilson, who you drafted No. 2 overall three years ago, you got to give him this shot,” Clark said while appearing on ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday morning. “You have to give him this chance. And what (offensive coordinator) Nathaniel Hackett has to do is tear up everything he thought about the New York Jets offense coming into the season, because all of that went away when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles.”

Clark explained the simple offense Hackett thought he could run with Rodgers doesn’t work with Wilson and the offense needs to match the quarterback, not the other way around.

“If (Wilson) drops back you understand, … you don’t have the tackles that are going to secure the pocket,” Clark said. “(Wilson) is going to drop his eyes because he is going to vacate the pocket. When he’s outside of the pocket, he makes bad decisions time after time, after time, after time.

“And what we need to come to the conclusion of before we even come to the conclusion of whether or not Zach Wilson can play is the fact that the team that had an opportunity to win the AFC East, the team that had an opportunity to be an AFC Championship, no longer has the chance. No longer has that opportunity.”

According to Clark, the Jets have to feel as deflated as the fans knowing they had Rodgers for four snaps before having to go back to Wilson at the helm of the play calling.

“I could not imagine the sadness of this locker room knowing you are going from Aaron Rodgers to Zach Wilson,” Clark concluded. “Those are opposite sides of the spectrum.”