Zach Wilson trade grades: Broncos somehow made their QB room less inspiring

April 22, 2024, is a date that will forever live in infamy for the New York Jets and their fan base, marking the official conclusion of the Zach Wilson era. 

The Jets are trading Wilson to the Denver Broncos as part of a late-round pick swap, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

New York receives a sixth-round selection from Denver in exchange for the 2021 No. 2 overall pick and a seventh-rounder, essentially taking nothing in return to move on from a failed experiment that the entire franchise is eager to forget yet will never be able to unsee and remove from their minds.

While this deal is a nothing burger on the surface, especially considering the Wilson ship has all but sailed, some layers of the transaction make it worth mentioning. Let's discuss.

Zach Wilson trade grades: Broncos take flier while Jets slam door shut on era to forget

After releasing nine-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion, and quarterback Russell Wilson following a brutal two-year stint in Denver from 2022-23, the Broncos are replacing one underperforming signal-caller with another who happens to have the same surname. 

The only reason it is somewhat logical for the Broncos to take on Wilson's contract (even though the Jets are reportedly on the hook for roughly $5.5 million of his 2024 salary) is the horrendously bad state of Denver's quarterback room is in -- joining journeymen Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci to form what is undoubtedly the worst and most unproven position group in the NFL. 

Broncos head coach Sean Payton has made it no secret that he is desperately searching for his next quarterback. But it is hard to envision Wilson being that guy after wrapping up his dreadful Jets tenure with a 12-21 record across 33 starts, completing 57 percent of his pass attempts for 6,293 yards with a 23:25 touchdown-to-interception ratio, seemingly never looking fit to be a starter and practically driving New York to go all-in on four-time MVP signal-caller Aaron Rodgers in a blockbuster deal they made this past offseason.

Moreover, this transaction could be seen as a win from the perspective of the Jets when considering they have officially put the lingering drama surrounding Wilson and his time in New York. Though it is hard to justify rewarding them with a good trade grade for receiving a 2024 sixth-round pick to move off of a player they believed in enough to spend the second overall selection of the 2021 draft on and are still paying most of his salary for this upcoming year. But now the organization can at least move forward with its offseason training program, parting ways with arguably the biggest locker room distraction.

New York Jets trade grade: D | Denver Broncos trade grade: D+