Rude message from a New York Jets fan sent to Zach Wilson's mother

Let’s put the obvious aside:

• National Football League players make a lot of money, especially guys who got picked early in the draft or signed a lucrative second contract.
• Many of us would happily fit into the lifestyle that this profession offers.
• Players who are good are usually not booed.
• Players who are not good should be better.

Now that we’ve settled that, let’s highlight a tweet that made the rounds of the Twittersphere just a few days ago. Thanks to Doug Rush for sharing the direct message image but not sending the direct message himself.

Safe to say Zach Wilson won’t be back with the Jets next season?

Lisa Wilson, Zach Wilson’s mother, apparently called the Jets fanbase “toxic” in an Instagram DM to a fan. pic.twitter.com/b8AI56U15a

— Doug Rush (@TheDougRush) December 23, 2022

This exchange is a direct message on Instagram between an anonymous “Jets fan” and the mother of New York Jets quarterback and former No. 2 pick Zach Wilson. This season, Zach Wilson left a lot to be desired as he struggled to the tune of ~188 passing yards per game, infuriating many Jets fans due to the offense he struggled with.

Regardless of what one thinks of player Zach Wilson, the above fan-initiated exchange is of several kinds inappropriate. Many will focus on Zach’s mother’s response, including the lines saying “It’s not possible for anyone to make it here.” Your fan base is toxic”, but I think it is important that we keep in mind the context of this exchange and instead focus on the original sender who started the “altercation” on the networks social.

• The direct message was sent to Zach’s mother sometime between the Jets game Thursday night and the following Friday at 4 p.m. based on the content of the first message and the time the image was posted. (Looks like 3:27 p.m. on Friday to be exact.)
• Thursday night’s game was likely the low point of Zach’s career, as it all signaled at least the end of the Jets’ faith in him as a QB for the rest of this season. In support, he won’t dress for the Jets’ next game this Sunday as a second backup.
• The Jets declaring the end of their faith in him is the unwanted culmination of a process and a lifelong dream for Zach. You don’t become an NFL player without putting in countless hours. In Zach’s case, he not only made the NFL, but did so against all odds to an extent given his high school ranking (three-star prospect) and his projected ranking the year before his senior season. escape to BYU (possibly undrafted). This kind of rise at the college level doesn’t happen by accident and is the result of a guy who, by all accounts, took a long time to get better at the college level (some of which are detailed here: https://www.deseret.com/sports/2021/1/3/22195624/byu-football-zach-wilson-lds-mormon-heisman-finalists-nfl-draft-2021-john-beck-3dqb-camp).
• This same work ethic was evident with Zach at the NFL level, with Saleh providing the quote below to Albert Breer (https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/07/19/mmqb-robert-saleh- jets-adversity)-alex-gibbs-vaccines) about Zach during Zach’s rookie year. He’s not a guy who got his money and mentally shut down.

He is a hard worker. And I mean this, there are guys who watch movies, and then there are guys who watch movies almost religiously, and he’s one of those guys. He is constantly trying to find ways to absorb information and learn. He exhausts the quarterback coach with film study. He is relentless in this regard. His mental power is off the charts.

• The direct message was sent to his mother. I’m not sure about all of you, but in my experience few people are more defensive, protective and supportive than an involved mom, which by all accounts seems to be Zach’s. Given the background of Zach’s struggles despite his efforts to overcome them, and the struggles leading to the uncertainty surrounding his long-term career prospects to do his dream job, I understand why the post would have elicited an emotional response.
• The most terrible message was sent to his mother the eve of christmas eve. Talk about the “Jets fan” being a Scrooge-esque character.

All this to say that I understand that Zach has been bad. I imagine Zach and everyone around him knows the same thing. While there may be arguments as to why, that doesn’t change the fact that this isn’t how he’s seen his career unfold. And by some accounts, his struggles have already taken a toll on his sanity by developing the dreaded “yips.”

As long as it stinks, there’s still room for kindness. Players are also people with hopes and dreams and loved ones who care about them. We should not lose sight of this. Be better than that “Jets fan”.