Jets QB Zach Wilson Beefs Up Ahead of Second NFL Season As Starter

Former No. 2 overall pick, New York Jets QB Zach Wilson, is building up his game in the offseason — ahead of his second year in the NFL.

The 22-year-old, 6-foot-2 quarterback started preparing for the season by putting on some muscle, bulking up to 221 pounds after walking into the League at 214.

Known for his adept passing and adolescent appearance coming out of BYU, Wilson opted to transform his game with an upgraded build, capable of outrunning a D-line or breaking through the line on QB sneaks.

The second-year QB says the physical element going into this season has worked differently.

"I feel better for sure," he said. "The energy, the ability to have that stamina throughout the whole practice, is better. In the long run, once we get into a game when we actually get hit and tackled, having more size on me will help."

Wilson noted that his key to beefing up was cutting out sweets.

"I just feel like I'm a better athlete with more weight on, for some reason," Wilson added.

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Jets coach Robert Saleh approved of the QB's upgrade.

"He looks good, he's confident, he's smiling, he's vocal," Saleh added. "I've said it before that you can always tell the confidence level and their understanding of what they're being asked to do by the volume of their voice, and he's getting pretty loud."

Wilson was a top pick in 2021's NFL Draft and followed up his selection with a mixed result as the Jets starter.

The Jets finished 4-13 in Wilson's rookie season (13 games). He threw for 2,334 yards, nine touchdowns, 11 interceptions and completed 55.6 percent of his passes. By season's end, the problems appeared to stem more from the Jets' coaching staff than Wilson's individual performance.

Wilson is taking on a similar strategy to New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who bulked to 230 pounds ahead of his second season in the NFL.

While guys like Brady Quinn or Tim Tebow showcase the importance of mechanics over muscle, Wilson's on the right track with improving his longevity as the Jets starter.

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