Garrett Wilson hated to see trades, but trusts Jets' vision and excited to return after knee injury

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Garrett Wilson is fired up to be back on the field for the New York Jets. This week has been anything but normal, though, for the star wide receiver.

Not when he no longer sees Sauce Gardner lined up against him in practice. Or Quinnen Williams anchoring the defensive line.

“My emotions, like that side of it, I hate it," Wilson said Thursday, two days after the Jets made two massive trades. "I hate it. You know what I’m saying? I play football, I play with my brothers, I get to know my brothers. I hate it. But I’m paid to play football. No one cares if I hate it. Go catch the ball. That’s how I see it and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to do my job to the best of my ability so ... they feel like they can keep us all together.

“That’s the reality of this thing. You don’t win games, things change.”

Wilson and Gardner bonded three-plus years ago when they were first-round draft picks of the Jets within hours of each other. They were the NFL's rookies of the year, Wilson on offense and Gardner on defense. The two received massive contract extensions this summer and seemingly appeared to be cornerstone pieces of what general manager Darren Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn were trying to build.

Until the Colts made the Jets an offer they couldn't refuse.

Indianapolis sent a first-round draft pick in 2026 and another in 2027, along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, to New York for Gardner.

“It’s something I’m still getting used to, man,” Wilson said. “I mean, I don’t know being in this facility without Sauce around until these last couple of days, right? It’s going to be an adjustment for me.”

A few hours later, the Jets traded Williams — another foundation piece — to Dallas for a second-round pick in 2026, a first-round selection in 2027 and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

“I mean, I was shocked, man,” Wilson said. “I was shocked. And obviously, just kind of a reminder of the business that we’re in. ... Just a reminder of this game and not taking the times you get to play with your boys for granted. But yeah, man, I'll make sure I talk to them boys, send them a text, nothing too crazy, and I’m excited to see what they finish the season out like.”

Wilson is also looking forward to how the rest of this season will go for him and the Jets. He's expected to play against Cleveland on Sunday after missing the first two games of his NFL career with a knee injury that first appeared could sideline him for several more weeks, if not longer.

“For me, how much of that relief was it? I mean a lot of relief, bro, I ain’t gonna fake it,” Wilson said. "Stuff like this keeps me up at night. And granted, I stayed away from that, but the things that I thought initially that first day, I stayed away from that and I’m thankful for it. And for me, maybe it was good for me. I’ve never been injured in my whole career. Maybe it was good for me to realize that you ain’t gonna be out there every week, go about it the right way, every play is super important.

“Maybe I was taking it for granted a little bit and I’m back to my old ways. I’m excited to go back out there.”

Wilson was listed as limited at practice for the second straight day Thursday, a positive sign for his chances of playing.

The Jets (1-7) won 39-38 at Cincinnati on Oct. 26, a comeback victory in which they played without Wilson and Gardner, who was sidelined with a concussion. New York will try to get a second in a row — and as Wilson put it: “my first win of the year.”

New York's roster has two fewer stars now. Wilson remains, even if playoff chances have long faded for this season. The hope is that the two moves will result in a lot more winning in the future.

“I've got to do my job,” Wilson said. "I get paid to catch passes, block, help my teammates out, make plays. They get paid to do that. No one cares what I think, you know what I’m saying? I’m gonna go play football. And I’m excited, man. I’m excited to go at this thing and chase, you know, they have a vision. Like I said, I don’t get paid to have a vision. They do. And, you know, they've got one.

“And I've got to trust ’em, man. I do.”

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