Wilson: Jets' starting QB job must 'be earned'

Zach Wilson doesn't think the New York Jets' starting quarterback role is his to lose.

Wilson - this year's second overall pick and the Jets' presumptive starter for the foreseeable future - said Saturday it's "important" to be under center in Week 1 but that it isn't his top priority at the moment.

"My focus is to learn the offense, keep getting better every single day, do what I can with the guys around me, and I think the rest takes care of itself," the 21-year-old said on the second day of rookie minicamp.

"In this position, the coaches want to play the best player, and that position has gotta be earned."

The Jets moved on from Sam Darnold this offseason, trading him to the Carolina Panthers just weeks before selecting Wilson. The team's quarterback depth chart currently offers little competition for the former BYU star; James Morgan and Mike White are the only alternatives at the position, and neither has played a regular-season NFL game.

New York is expected to sign a veteran signal-caller before training camp, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini. The team has reportedly already met with Brian Hoyer.

New Jets head coach Robert Saleh praised Wilson on Friday following his first day with the first-year passer at rookie camp.

"The ball was in and out of his hands very crisp," Saleh said, according to Corey Hersch of SNY. "He was in rhythm, he was on time, the guys did a job running routes, and the ball was barely on the ground. He did a nice job - now he's got to stack it up and get better every day."

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