Garrett Wilson transforming into vocal Jets leader: Im there now

Garrett Wilson has not played a football game since last November.He knows Friday night’s game against the Buccaneers is only preseason and does not count in the standings, but he’ll take any football right now.“I missed it a lot,” Wilson said Wednesday.

“I grew up my whole life playing this game, loving this game and all of a sudden you’re not able to play and you realize how much it really meant to you.I’ve always known but it kind of just brings it back into perspective.

I’m just happy to be back healthy, feeling good and ready to go this season.” Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.The Jets are counting on their 26-year-old star to bounce back after a lost year in 2025 when a knee injury limited him to seven games.

He has shown no ill effects from the injury during training camp.He made a highlight play in Tuesday’s joint practice with the Buccaneers, catching a tipped pass and then juking his way through defenders for a touchdown.“[Wilson] is back to himself,” Jets wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said.

“It’s good to get him back on the field.Our whole offense is just energized when he’s out there on the field.

He’s kind of that player when everything is going awry and we need somebody to make a play, boom, he makes that play and kind of calms the storm.”There have been plenty of storms since Wilson was drafted by the Jets in the first round of the 2022 draft.He was one of three first-round picks that year and he’s the only one left on the team after the Jets dealt Sauce Gardner to the Colts and Jermaine Johnson to the Titans.Jefferson, who has coached Wilson since 2024, said he has seen a difference in Wilson this year.“The really good thing is he’s taken a good step forward and been a more vocal leader,” Jefferson said.

“I think that’s awesome.A lot of times when you’re young like that it just doesn’t come to you.

I ...