Garrett Wilson 'shocked' by Sauce Gardner trade, but trusting Jets' process: 'I don't get paid to have a vision'

When the Jetsbegin the post-bye stretch of their season against the Browns on Sunday, they'll have Garrett Wilson suited up and ready to play. The star receiver said as much on Thursday, erasing all doubts about the status of a knee injury that forced him to miss their last two games.

But Wilson's welcomed return arrives on the heels of the team's trade deadline fire sale, highlighted by the sudden departure of star cornerback Sauce Gardner. The blockbuster deal between the Jets and Colts sent shockwaves across the league, and also caught Wilson by total surprise.

"I was shocked... Just a reminder of this game, and not taking the times you get to play with your boys for granted," Wilson said of Gardner's trade, as well as Quinnen Williams' move to the Cowboys. "I don't know, being in this facility without Sauce around until these last couple days. It's going to be an adjustment for me... It's a game of change. You expect the change."

While the NFL is a cut-throat business, there wasn't any inkling of the Jets' midseason breakup with Gardner before the season started. Just follow the money -- they gave the 2022 first-round pick a record-breaking contract extension in July, mere hours after finalizing a new long-term pact with Wilson.

By proactively locking up the fellow draft classmates through the 2030 campaign, it was clear who the Jets identified as their pillars under a new coaching regime. Gardner even requested a delay in his contract announcement to make sure that Wilson had his moment in the spotlight.

But the deals never guaranteed their time as teammates. Gardner yielded a pair of first-rounders and wideout AD Mitchell from the Colts -- an offer the Jets simply couldn't refuse. And no matter how high the market price was for Wilson, it clearly didn't meet their demands.

"I don't ever worry about or think about security. I know what it is when it comes to this league," Wilson said. "It puts an emphasis on why we do what we do and go about things so hard... I truly believe you train and approach every day because you're replaceable as hell... I don't get paid to have a vision, they do. They've got one and I've got to trust them."

Wilson, who became the NFL's fourth-highest paid receiver with $90 million guaranteed, will need to stay healthy and overcome a quarterback dilemma in order to produce a fourth straight 1,000-yard season. In six games, the 25-year-old has racked up 36 catches (56 targets) for 395 yards and four touchdowns.

The Browns' defense should pose a challenge for all Jets receivers, as the unit has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards in the league. But if Wilson returns to the field with no limitations and sees elite-level volume, there's certainly an opportunity to exploit the Browns' mark of 8.9 yards allowed per target to wideouts.