Garrett Wilson Wants to Stay With Jets but Loves Winning More

Jets receiver Garrett Wilson said Wednesday he wants to stay in New York but does not love it more than he loves winning, per ESPN.Wilson was targeted three times, with two catches for 26 yards, in Sunday’s 28-25 loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins.Wilson leads the Jets with 37 receptions and 444 yards, and the NFL trade deadline falls on Nov. 10.Wilson Answers the Trade Questions and Puts Winning FirstGarrett Wilson has not asked the New York Jets to trade him, and on Wednesday he said where he stands. Speaking in Florham Park, New Jersey, the receiver gave an answer in two parts.“Yeah, I want to be here, man,” Wilson said. “I want to win games and that’s the one thing we’ve been missing on here. I love it here. Do I love it more than I love winning? Nah, to be completely honest, but I’m hopeful.”He said it with the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching.The Sideline Scene That Started the TalkThe questions came from Sunday. Wilson was visibly upset on the sideline in the fourth quarter of the Jets’ 28-25 loss to the previously winless Dolphins. He was targeted only three times in the game and finished with two catches for 26 yards. A week earlier he was a nonfactor in a loss to the New England Patriots.That frustration, together with the approaching deadline, fueled speculation about whether he wants to remain in New York.“I’ve never been the best optimistic guy, but I’ve found a way and dug deep, and I’ve been optimistic for three, four, five years now,” Wilson said. “And that’s why these [losses] each weekend hurt a little more.”He said the frustration on camera should not be misconstrued. “This all comes from a place in my heart of wanting to win,” he said.What the Coaches Say and What Wilson HearsThe Jets’ public position is that they want him involved. Coach Aaron Glenn has said repeatedly that the team wants to get the ball to Wilson early and often, and offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterback Geno Smith have said the same.“I’ve always said this: I’m looking to get him the football as much as I can, but I have to be mindful of what the defense is doing as well,” Smith said.The coaches have also said Wilson draws extra coverage, which creates chances for other players in the passing game. Wilson did not accept that description. “I wouldn’t say anyone’s doing anything Houdini or a superpower to try and take me away,” he said.He has not shared his view on the matter with the coaches. “I think it’s understood,” Wilson said.The Contract, the Draft Class and the Gardner PrecedentWilson, 26, was the No. 10 pick in 2022 and is the Jets’ leading receiver with 37 catches for 444 yards. Fifteen months ago he signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension that runs through 2030. There is no indication that the Jets are looking to trade him.Wilson was one of three Jets first-round picks in 2022, and the other two, Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson, have been traded in the last year. The Jets dealt Gardner at the deadline last year, a few months after he signed a four-year, $120 million extension. The team is 2-5 this season.Ownership is part of the Jets’ story, and Jets owner Woody Johnson agreed in 2025 to buy a 43% stake in Crystal Palace.What Comes NextWilson’s next chance to answer on the field comes Sunday, when the Jets host the Las Vegas Raiders (3-4). Glenn, Reich and Smith have all said they want to get him the ball. A receiver’s career can turn on touches and on winning. Antonio Freeman won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. Wilson has said what he wants: to be in New York, and to win. The Jets have until Nov. 10, the trade deadline, to show him both can happen together.