Cowboys' Jerry Jones Compares Zach Wilson To Dak & Romo
The 2023 NFL season seemed like a dream for the New York Jets, only for it to immediately become a nightmare.
New York looked to finally break its long playoff drought after acquiring four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, but he suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon just four plays into his Jets career. Suddenly, the player who was supposed to be the Jets' missing piece is now gone once again. Now the Jets must rely on former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, who had a very rocky first two seasons.
It's easy for Jets fans to feel all doom and gloom about their quarterback situation, but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't quite see it that way. Ahead of the Cowboys' matchup against the Jets on Sunday, Jones drew an interesting comparison between New York's quarterback situation and one in Dallas' past.
"I think we all should turn to examples where they've seen it happen," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "We lost Tony Romo. I would argue that we may never had seen Dak Prescott had you not lost Tony Romo. We thought we were down and out, and Prescott comes in and the rest is history. Tony didn't get his job back. The point is, it happens."
The exact situation Jones is referring to dates back to 2016, when Romo, who was the Cowboys' starter for nearly a decade at this point, suffered an injury in the preseason. That injury forced the Cowboys to turn to a rookie Dak Prescott, who proceeded to guide Dallas to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC. With Prescott playing so well, Romo never got his starting job back. What looked to be a disaster for the Cowboys turned out to actually be a blessing in disguise.
Obviously, there are plenty of differences between that situation and what the Jets are going through. While the Cowboys didn't really know what they had in Prescott, the Jets are very familiar with what they have in Wilson. After all, Wilson's struggles are what prompted the Jets to acquire Rodgers in the first place. He's still too young to write off completely, but early signs have not been great.
In any case, it's a strong message from Jones that his team needs to be ready no matter who's under center for New York.