FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets : 1.
Frankly speaking: Garrett Wilson is perhaps the most recognizable name on the roster, a homegrown player who makes the big bucks ($32.5 million per year) because he has managed to perform at a high level despite the dreariness around him. He's also not afraid to express his opinion.
Because he's that guy , his words matter. And so it was noteworthy the way he responded to a reporter's question about offensive coordinator Frank Reich's system, Wilson's fourth different offense in five years.
It went beyond the obligatory thumbs-up; it was a full-throated endorsement. "Honestly, this is probably one of the offenses that I'm going to look back on in a few years and love the most," Wilson said Thursday after the Jets' second of 10 OTA practices.
Wilson was frustrated at times over his first four seasons because of playcalling and/or quarterback play, including a clash with Aaron Rodgers during the 2024 season. Now he has quarterback Geno Smith and Reich, who, unlike the previous playcallers, brings NFL playing experience to the job.
That resonates with Wilson. "It's really player-empowering, I'll say," Wilson said.
"I don't really know how else to put it. It's receiver-empowering, skill position-empowering.
"You got a guy that's played quarterback and kind of gets it as far as the instinct side of football, the side of it that's not going to be perfect the way we drew it up on paper, but you have to embrace that. There's a way to train people to make the right decision when it isn't going perfect, and he focuses on that, which I love." As one veteran scout said of Reich, "Frank won't coach you like a robot." Reich's system encourages receivers to make sight adjustments based on coverage.
That suits Wilson, an instinctual player who believes that brings out the best in him. It was different under Rodgers, who was a stickler for by-the-book route running.
"It sounds simple, but not everybody's like [Reich]," Wilson said. "Sometimes the way it's installed is the way it's going to be run every time and, as a player, you have to get on the train or you're going to get left behind.
This guy's more like, 'We're all on this train together, and if we have to slow down to bring [someone] along, we're going to bring him along.' He's a little different." Reich is the 12th different playcaller in the past 16 seasons. The Jets cracked the top 10 in total yards once in that span (2015).
2. Injury update: Three players who missed significant time last season -- Wilson (knee), running back Braelon Allen (knee surgery) and cornerback Azareye'h Thomas (shoulder surgery) -- are participating in OTA practices.
Wilson's injury, which cost him a total of 10 games, was the first of his professional career that caused him to miss time. He said the time off changed his perspective.
By that, he meant he was "getting a little bit too comfortable," and that the injury made him appreciate the rigors of the sport. 3.
New digs: The Jets soon will begin construction on a player performance center, which will replace the existing weight room. The performance center will be a two-story structure, about 2½ times bigger than the current setup.
It will house all aspects of sports science, including nutrition, recovery and health. It will be completed before the start of the 2027 season.
In the meantime, the Jets will do their weight training in a temporary structure located on an artificial turf fiel