The New York Jets traded away Zach Wilson on Tuesday, seemingly ending his run as their franchise quarterback. Despite the disappointing tenure, the Jets’ social media team sent a kind message thanking Wilson for his service.
Predictably, this well-intentioned gesture sparked jokes from sports fans. These jokes, repeated endlessly across various platforms, poked fun at the team’s underwhelming return on their high draft pick used to acquire Wilson. It felt like everyone wanted a piece of the mockery, a rather easy target.
Here’s a different perspective: Maybe the Jets were just being decent. Saying a polite goodbye to a player who didn’t succeed isn’t a bad thing. Publicly bashing Wilson wouldn’t have served anyone. In the professional world, it’s important to maintain a positive image, especially when handling such situations.
Ultimately, the social media post itself might not hold much weight. There’s no obligation for the Jets to comment on the trade publicly. However, social media content creation is their job, and sometimes “something” is better than “nothing” in that realm. While fan engagement might not be sincere, it does generate content, albeit of the mocking variety.
