Garrett Wilson was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year following the 2022 season, but as a first-year player, he didn’t always feel comfortable speaking up or taking on a leadership role.
Fast forward to his sophomore campaign, and the gifted wide receiver often has been seen pumping up his teammates on the sidelines — particularly quarterback Zach Wilson — during the Jets’ first two games.
“I think that comes with the time and the reps and being out there in front of my teammates more than I was at this time last year,” Garrett Wilson said after practice Thursday. “At the end of the day, it always comes from a place that I want to win. I want to win every game, and I feel like I have an idea of where we can be. That’s where all of that comes from.
“My emotion, talking to my teammates, whatever it may be, it’s coming from a place of being competitive.
“I think they understand that, and I don’t feel like maybe they understood that last year. Maybe it came out the wrong way or something, it came on too strong or something. But this year it’s more calculated. It’s my teammates knowing me better, and a lot of different things play into that. But I do feel like I’m more comfortable.”
The 23-year-old Wilson mostly let his play do the talking as a rookie.
He finished the 2022 season with 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns.
His overall numbers haven’t been eye-popping through the first two weeks of this season — seven catches for 117 yards — but the former Ohio State star scored a touchdown against both the Bills and the Cowboys.
The Jets’ opponents Sunday, Bill Belichick and the Patriots, have won the past 14 meetings between the AFC East foes.
They are likely to try to scheme against Wilson to limit his touches.
“They do a great job of doing whatever they set their mind to, they’re going to do that, each week,” Wilson said. “I don’t know what it may be this week. I like to think of myself that I’m not going to make it as easy on them as they think.
“If they do a good job on me, we got a lot of other weapons. I’m not worried, we’ll have a great plan to take advantage of any look they give us.”