4 Garrett Wilson trade destinations to free star WR from Aaron Rodgers’ black hole

The New York Jets were able to finally snap their losing streak with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, but it might've come at a deep cost. In the first half on Sunday, star wideout Garrett Wilson was spotted looking awfully unhappy on the sideline, seemingly calling out quarterback Aaron Rodgers for not throwing him the ball in a 1-on-1 situation.

Behind a monster second half from Rodgers and Davante Adams, New York was able to rally for a victory. But it seems like the win wasn't enough to smooth things over with Wilson: On his Flight Deck podcast on Wednesday, ESPN's Rich Cimini reported that people in the wide receiver's camp expect him to request a trade this offseason.

And really, it's tough to blame him. Wilson has shown himself to be among the better receivers in all of football since being drafted 10th overall back in 2022, but all the Jets have rewarded him with in that time is a quarterback carousel and top-to-bottom organizational dysfunction. The head coach and general manager are both gone, it's an open question whether Rodgers will be back next year and the owner is busy making roster decisions based on Madden ratings. Things are not great right now, and the league's longest playoff drought doesn't seem close to ending any time soon.

So let's see if we can help Wilson find a change of scenery. If he does ask out next spring, which teams figure to be the most likely landing spots?

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

It feels like whenever a star wideout is rumored to be available, the Steelers always pop up as a potential landing spot. We've seen Pittsburgh express interest in everyone from Davante Adams to Brandon Aiyuk to Christian Kirk just in the last few months, and the team already added Wilson's former teammate, Mike Williams, at the trade deadline.

George Pickens' potential is obvious, but he's proven to be more or less impossible to rely on as a WR1. Pairing him with Wilson would create a dynamic 1-2 punch, taking some of the pressure off Pickens and allowing him to focus on more of a downfield role while Wilson handles primary duties. Plus, at just 24 (Wilson) and 23 (Pickens) years of age, they'd be able to grow together for years to come.

3. Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin have developed quite the rapport this season, but Washington doesn't have much behind him — 34-year-old tight end Zach Ertz has become the team's de facto second option, which isn't a great place to be — and McLaurin is set to enter the final year of his contract in 2025. The Commanders need both a partner and an eventual succession plan, and Wilson checks both those boxes as well as anybody the team could hope to acquire this offseason.

Wilson and McLaurin never overlapped at Ohio State, but their skill sets compliment each other wonderfully, and Wilson would give Daniels another ball-winner on the outside as McLaurin starts to decline in his 30s. He's also the same age as Daniels, meaning that these two would be on identical timelines moving forward.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

This is a critical offseason for the Raiders, who sure seem set to draft what they hope will be their quarterback of the future in the spring. Whether that's Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, Vegas is going to need to find them a true WR1 to help ease their transition to the pro game.

Brock Bowers is a sensation at tight end and Jakobi Meyers is a fine-enough security blanket, but this Raiders roster desperately needs the sort of alpha on the outside they lost when they traded Adams to New York; Meyers is the only wideout with more than 500 receiving yards and three touchdowns so far this season. Wilson would give Sanders or Ward an ideal partner to grow with, and a target that they can trust when everything else breaks down.

1. Cleveland Browns

The Browns are in desperate need of a reset on offense, and while figuring out how to move on from Deshaun Watson is at the top of the to-do list, finding a new No. 1 wideout to replace Amari Cooper isn't far behind. So why not bring Wilson back to Ohio, where he spent part of his childhood and where he starred for the home-state Buckeyes for three seasons?

Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman have emerged as solid complimentary pieces, but Wilson would give Cleveland a true WR1, the kind of weapon they haven't had since Josh Gordon was in his (all-too-brief) heyday. Wilson would likely jump at the chance to head back to Ohio, and if the Browns can just get their QB situation figured out, this team could be back ready to contend much quicker than people realize.