Hypothetical NFL Landing Spots for Garrett Wilson If Jets WR Requests Trade

Garrett Wilson has been slogging through a trying 2024 NFL season with the rest of his New York Jets teammates, a campaign that now looks like it may potentially be the wideout's last in the Big Apple.

Wilson's growing frustrations with Aaron Rodgers appear to be the driving force behind this potential breakup.

On Sunday, the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shed light on the rift between the young receiver and aging signal-caller. Rapoport said that sources close to Garrett "believe he's been frustrated at the lack of looks from Rodgers" and noted that a trade is "one of the options for how to proceed" should the quarterback return for the 2025 campaign.

While Rodgers has been mum on his future in recent weeks, he did state last month that staying in New York would be his "first option" if he does opt to continue his NFL career.

Pro Football Network's Trey Wingo called the proposition of the team sticking with a soon-to-be 42-year-old Rodgers—on the heels of a career-worst season—at the expense of a rising 24-year-old star "the most New York Jets" thing ever.

While Wilson still has one year left on his rookie deal and it would be shocking if his fifth-year option wasn't picked up this offseason, the receiver could try to force New York's hand by demanding a trade.

If the Jets do decide to deal Wilson, they can expect to net a hefty amount of draft capital and other assets in return. The San Francisco 49ers received several offers that included multiple Day 2 draft picks and serviceable veterans in exchange for Brandon Aiyuk—a receiver nearly two years older than Wilson who was far less productive during his first three NFL seasons.

Wilson's suitors will also need to consider the costs of adding a market-value extension onto their books, a contract Spotrac estimates will ring up around $24 million annually. Despite the projected high costs of both acquiring and retaining Wilson, there should be no shortage of interest in the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

With that in mind, read on for a look at some realistic landing spots for Wilson should he request a trade.

The New England Patriots are on the cusp of a potentially transformative offseason. After a shocking Week 17, the 3-13 team is now just one more loss away from securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That coveted selection could potentially end up being part of a deal that brings Garrett Wilson to Foxboro.

Despite the club's dismal record, there's reason to believe the Pats will be able to emerge from their rebuild relatively quickly—especially if the front office finds a way to land the Jets' star wideout.

It's no secret that New England has been hoping to secure a star receiver. The organization most recently made a run at Brandon Aiyuk prior to the 2024 campaign kicking off but weren't able to finalize the deal.

The Pats can't afford to whiff again, especially now that they appear to have found a proper heir to Tom Brady in Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

The rookie signal-caller has gone on to complete nearly 67 percent of his throws for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns over his first 11 starts, rather impressive marks considering New England's flimsy offensive line and subpar receiving corps.

Pairing Maye with Wilson would give the Patriots one of the more exciting young batteries in the league, one the offense could build around for the next decade-plus. It would also provide New England with a receiver whose already proven himself at the highest levels, something Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker—the team's second- and fourth-round picks, respectively, in the 2024 draft—both failed to do as rookies.

The Patriots have had far more success bringing in established wideouts than drafting them during the 21st century. The franchise hit home runs with its acquisitions of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks during the Bill Belichick era and could continue that trend under the new regime by bringing Wilson aboard.

While the cost of acquiring Wilson from a bitter divisional rival would likely be exorbitantly high, the returns could be astronomical for this once-proud organization.

The Tennessee Titans haven't started out the Bryan Callahan era the way they may have hoped. The first-year head coach struggled to maximize the talents of sophomore quarterback Will Levis and lacked a competitive ground game following the departure of Derrick Henry in free agency.

Regardless of whether the team tries to continue developing Levis in 2025 or opts to select a passer near the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, it's readily apparent the offense won't be able to function at a high level without an elite receiver like Garrett Wilson in the mix.

While the Titans did try to boost their aerial attack by signing Calvin Ridley on the open market, the veteran wideout hasn't lived up to Pro Bowl expectations, and his 61 receptions for 941 yards leave quite a lot to be desired. Ridley is also on the wrong side of 30 and may already be on the decline, putting the Titans on the clock to find a younger star to build their receiving corps around.

Tennessee could splurge on someone like Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan—the No. 3 overall prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board—with their 2025 first-rounder, but doing so would almost certainly mean passing up a chance to land a top-tier quarterback such as Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.

The Titans could instead make a run at a pricy free agent like Tee Higgins—reuniting him with Callahan after the pair spent four seasons together with the Cincinnati Bengals—but splashy veteran receiver pickups such as D'Andre Hopkins, Andre Johnson and Randy Moss have largely failed to pan out for the club over the last decade-plus.

Cooking up a deal with the Jets that includes multiple Day 2 picks and even a potential future Day 1 pick in exchange for Wilson looks like the best option. Executing such a move would allow the Titans to retain their lofty 2025 draft position, putting them in range to bring in a QB to pair with Wilson.

Doing so would overhaul the nucleus of Tennessee's offense within the span of a single offseason and give the club a realistic chance of contending as early as next year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have many of the pieces in place to contend—evidenced by the squad clinching a playoff berth back in Week 15—but they still have an uphill battle to reach the Super Bowl largely because of their offensive woes. The most glaring problem with the roster is a lack of receiving talent, an issue that could be quickly remedied via a trade for Garrett Wilson.

The Steelers have one of the most concerning passing attacks of any playoff team, with only the Philadelphia Eagles averaging fewer than Pittsburgh's 196.6 passing yards per game. Unlike their fellow Pennsylvanians, the Steelers don't have a pair of stars like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith who can shoulder the load if the rushing game sputters out.

While Pittsburgh does employ one of the NFL's more intriguing young wideouts in George Pickens, the third-year talent has been dealing with injuries and inconsistency in 2024. The team would heavily benefit from augmenting Pickens with another elite receiving weapon, a move that would greatly open things up for an offense that currently ranks around the league average.

While the Steelers did try to acquire proven pass-catchers during the offseason and up until the 2024 trade deadline—notably putting offers on the table for Brandon Aiyuk and expressing interest in Davante Adams—they were forced to settle for Mike Williams. That move unsurprisingly failed to move the needle and still leaves the Steelers in the market for a new wideout.

Even though Pittsburgh is one of the better teams that would conceivably make a run at Wilson, their quarterback situation might give the young wideout some pause. The squad doesn't have a signal-caller under contract beyond this season and will likely have to settle for pursuing Sam Darnold or retaining Russell Wilson—who will turn 37 years old next November—in free agency to shore up the position.

The Washington Commanders are a promising team on the rise, with new head coach Dan Quinn leading the squad in the playoffs behind some impressive play from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and a stout defense. While the Commanders will participate in their first postseason game in four years, there are still plenty of holes left to fill before this team can be considered a serious Super Bowl contender.

One of Washington's most glaring issues is a lack of reliable receiving weapons outside of Terry McLaurin, a void that Garrett Wilson could instantly fill.

While McLaurin has been thriving with Daniels under center—the 2022 Pro Bowler already has secured his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season and set a career-high of 12 touchdown catches with one game still left to play—the team doesn't have another wideout on the roster with more than 43 catches, 485 yards or three touchdown receptions in 2024.

Zach Ertz has been a major boon to this young roster and ranks second on the team in most major receiving categories this year. However, even if the Commanders elect to extend Ertz, they can't rely on the 34-year-old to keep producing at a high level for much longer. This should place the acquisition of a top-tier receiver at or near the top of the front office's to-do list this offseason.

While Washington could elect to use the draft to find a complementary receiver to pair with McLaurin—the B/R Scouting Department has the Commanders selecting Tre Harris out of Old Miss in their latest mock draft—the team could also swing for the fences with a Wilson trade. Pairing him and McLaurin together would instantly create one of the NFL's most dynamic receiving corps.

While an offense led by McLaurin, Wilson and Daniels projects to be an utter nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators to scheme against, Washington may not be a preferred landing spot for the Jets receiver. Wilson might not want to play second fiddle again, something he's had to do since New York brought in Davante Adams at the trade deadline and further widened the gulf between him and Rodgers.

Wilson recently complained about the lack of targets he's been given since Adams' arrival and it may be tough for Daniels to keep both McLaurin and him well-fed in an offense that has thrown on just 51.4 percent of its offensive snaps this year—the fifth-fewest in the league and well below the 64 percent of plays the No. 3 Jets pass on when they have the ball.

Regardless, the Commanders would be foolish not to at least inquire about Wilson's availability. There's almost certainly a way to keep everyone happy if they manage to bring him aboard, especially if the team is winning and making playoff trips—something the Jets haven't done since the 2010 season.

The Las Vegas Raiders may have one of the best locations and most alluring stadiums in the entire league, but the team has struggled to put a respectable product on the field in recent years. The 4-12 team is guaranteed to finish with its worst record since moving from Oakland ahead of the 2020 season and has plenty of question marks up and down both the roster and coaching staff.

While the Raiders are a mess, they could take a gigantic step toward contending again by trading for Garrett Wilson.

Vegas' receiver's room was already thin prior to shipping Davante Adams off earlier this year. After moving on from the superstar pass-catcher, the Raiders were left with Jakobi Meyers as the only notable wideout on the roster. While Meyers is having one of the best campaigns of his six-year NFL career, the 28-year-old is more of a complementary player rather than one to build around.

The Raiders need to find an elite young talent to serve as a foundational piece of their receiving corps, a role Wilson would be perfectly suited to fill. At just 24 years of age, he has plenty of good years ahead of him and could be around for the long haul alongside breakout rookie Brock Bowers.

Bowers has been one of the few bright spots for the organization this season, most recently breaking both Mike Ditka's longstanding record for receiving yardage by a first-year tight end and Puka Nacua's short-standing mark of receptions by a rookie.

As good as Bowers has been, the Raiders will be hamstrung until they find a true No. 1 wideout and a quarterback to unlock the offense's potential.

While the 4-12 club is likely out of the running for the No. 1 overall pick, Las Vegas may still be able to come away from a thin 2025 draft with its signal-caller of the future—even if it takes some clever maneuvering up the board to nab one of the two blue-chip prospects or patiently waiting for a less-regarded prospect like Alabama's Jalen Milroe to fall to them on Day 2.

Securing both a quarterback and Wilson might require the Raiders to part with a large amount of the draft capital they are sitting on, but those franchise-altering decisions could set this organization up to contend for years to come.