Jets' C.J. Uzomah: Zach Wilson 'rubbed the team the wrong way' after Patriots loss

[THE BARON]

 

From Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

"Tight end C.J. Uzomah has confirmed quarterback Zach Wilson upset teammates with his antics during what's become a famous postgame press conference. 

Wilson attracted criticism from analysts and fans, alike, when he initially refused to say he and the offense "let the defense down" shortly after New York's 10-3 loss at the New England Patriots on Nov. 20. Per Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post, Uzomah explained during an appearance on "The Chris Rose Football Show" that he reached out to Wilson regarding the matter before the second-year pro was benched by head coach Robert Saleh. 

"I didn’t go up to him…I texted him later that night, and then Monday after we had film, I texted him, and then I texted him on Tuesday night just like, 'Hey man,' — this was before anything happened, right, I didn’t know what was going on, Wednesday was when we found out about the quarterback change — I texted him Tuesday night, just like, 'Hey man, just letting you know, obviously you know you rubbed the team the wrong way just, I’d say something if I were you,'" Uzomah remarked. 

Uzomah added that Wilson responded early Wednesday morning and ultimately addressed the team after it was learned that backup Mike White would start against the Chicago Bears in Week 12. According to Uzomah, Wilson "gained a lot of respect from the players" for offering a "very emotional" apology. 

"Individually, there was like a little line that dapped him up and said we appreciate you and we appreciate you saying that," Uzomah said of the response Wilson received. 

It was previously said that Wilson was demoted from starter to scout team duties and made an inactive spectator against Chicago in part because he had lost at least some within the locker room. Meanwhile, White passed for 315 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the 31-10 victory over the Bears and is on track to start when the 7-4 Jets play at the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings this Sunday. "

[Trotter]

3 minutes ago, THE BARON said:

 

From Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

"Tight end C.J. Uzomah has confirmed quarterback Zach Wilson upset teammates with his antics during what's become a famous postgame press conference. 

Wilson attracted criticism from analysts and fans, alike, when he initially refused to say he and the offense "let the defense down" shortly after New York's 10-3 loss at the New England Patriots on Nov. 20. Per Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post, Uzomah explained during an appearance on "The Chris Rose Football Show" that he reached out to Wilson regarding the matter before the second-year pro was benched by head coach Robert Saleh. 

"I didn’t go up to him…I texted him later that night, and then Monday after we had film, I texted him, and then I texted him on Tuesday night just like, 'Hey man,' — this was before anything happened, right, I didn’t know what was going on, Wednesday was when we found out about the quarterback change — I texted him Tuesday night, just like, 'Hey man, just letting you know, obviously you know you rubbed the team the wrong way just, I’d say something if I were you,'" Uzomah remarked. 

Uzomah added that Wilson responded early Wednesday morning and ultimately addressed the team after it was learned that backup Mike White would start against the Chicago Bears in Week 12. According to Uzomah, Wilson "gained a lot of respect from the players" for offering a "very emotional" apology. 

"Individually, there was like a little line that dapped him up and said we appreciate you and we appreciate you saying that," Uzomah said of the response Wilson received. 

It was previously said that Wilson was demoted from starter to scout team duties and made an inactive spectator against Chicago in part because he had lost at least some within the locker room. Meanwhile, White passed for 315 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the 31-10 victory over the Bears and is on track to start when the 7-4 Jets play at the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings this Sunday. "

Cj’ comments are a bit difficult to follow but if I understand it correctly he started texting Zach on Sunday and did so a few times thru Tuesday night.

zach did not respond until wed?

Hope that is not the way it happened

[Integrity28]

10 minutes ago, THE BARON said:

Meanwhile, White passed for 315 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in the 31-10 victory over the Bears and is on track to start when the 7-4 Jets play at the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.

This part matters. The rest is gossip.

[CSNY]

Regardless of CJ’s stats or yardage he in my opinion has been one of JD’s most important and best signing’s. Excellent blocker and to me one of the leaders in this very young impressionable locker room. I want him on this team for  quite some time 

[FidelioJet]

I'm always been a fan of Zach and still believe he's been treated poorly by this fan base...

With that said, it can't just be a one of two comments immediately following a bad loss - that caused the team to completely turn on him.  There has to be something more than that.

Is it just that he wasn't playing well? Or was there more on a personal level?

Tough to know.

[Bronx]

Enough of this distraction. Wilson will have to earn his job in 2023, point blank. 

[T0mShane]

Uzomah was paid specifically to come in and mentor Zach Wilson on how to be a professional. He spent all summer traveling around with that Zach/Berrios crew. If Uzomah is making this public, it must have been pretty rough sledding with him. Uzomah and Mosley are the two guys on the record as saying Zach ****ed up, and those are the two most respected leaders in that locker room. 

[Barkus]

4 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

I'm always been a fan of Zach and still believe he's been treated poorly by this fan base...

With that said, it can't just be a one of two comments immediately following a bad loss - that caused the team to completely turn on him.  There has to be something more than that.

Is it just that he wasn't playing well? Or was there more on a personal level?

Tough to know.

There have several remarks that Zach wasn’t looking good in practice either in the past few weeks. This has been building up.

[Spoot-Face]

[JustInFudge]

14 minutes ago, CSNY said:

Regardless of CJ’s stats or yardage he in my opinion has been one of JD’s most important and best signing’s. Excellent blocker and to me one of the leaders in this very young impressionable locker room. I want him on this team for  quite some time 

Couldnt agree more, just genuinely good dude.  I mean, the guy uses the word "gosh". 

[SuicidalSince98]

CJ needs to STFU and keep this in house, bad look for everyone 

[Trotter]

5 minutes ago, SuicidalSince98 said:

CJ needs to STFU and keep this in house, bad look for everyone 

Not everyone 

[Barry McCockinner]

27 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

I'm always been a fan of Zach and still believe he's been treated poorly by this fan base...

With that said, it can't just be a one of two comments immediately following a bad loss - that caused the team to completely turn on him.  There has to be something more than that.

Is it just that he wasn't playing well? Or was there more on a personal level?

Tough to know.

You see a lot of comments about something "going on in the locker room" over this season. Probably related.

[Hal N of Provo]

Lol. Nice spin.  All doom and gloom on JN.  

 I listened to that earlier.  CJ stressed Zach talking to the team after made a big difference. To CJ that seemed to be the important part.  
 

Edit- not embedding but here is the 1 min 45 sec Twitter Video https://twitter.com/ChrisRoseSports/status/1597993107135438851

 

[CanadienJetsFan]

45 minutes ago, THE BARON said:

that dapped him up

One of you kids please translate to English?

thanks in advance 

[Joe W. Namath]

This will be the bet thing to ever happen to Zach Wilson and this Jets franchise.  He has been served a dose of humble pie.  He will learn what it means to be a leader from this.

Matt hasselbeck gave a great example of something similiar happening to him when he got to seattle.  He was handed the starting job, was immature, was not a leader etc etc etc.  He got benched for Dilfer for awhile and when he earned the job back, he was 100% a better player and teammate because of it.

Zach will bounce back from this.  Hes here for at least 2 more years.  he will get another shot at some point during that time.

[THE BARON]

10 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

He has been served a dose of humble pie. 

If he wants to get back in good with the locker room and the CS, he's going to have to eat the whole bakery.

[Darnold's Forehead]

31 minutes ago, SuicidalSince98 said:

CJ needs to STFU and keep this in house, bad look for everyone 

no u

[SuicidalSince98]

2 minutes ago, Darnold's Forehead said:

no u

U

[jetspenguin]

I like him but he has a lot of nerve sharing this.....he hasnt exactly played up to his contract. He adds value dont get me wrong and I love his personality but dude, this didnt need to be said outside of the locker room. 

Edited December 1, 2022 by jetspenguin
I saw the video, I retract that, he didnt come off bad at all.

[LockeJET]

58 minutes ago, FidelioJet said:

I'm always been a fan of Zach and still believe he's been treated poorly by this fan base...

With that said, it can't just be a one of two comments immediately following a bad loss - that caused the team to completely turn on him.  There has to be something more than that.

Is it just that he wasn't playing well? Or was there more on a personal level?

Tough to know.

Seems like there’s a certain arrogance Zach carries that maybe teammates never liked. 

[BCJet]

1 hour ago, CSNY said:

Regardless of CJ’s stats or yardage he in my opinion has been one of JD’s most important and best signing’s. Excellent blocker and to me one of the leaders in this very younEg impressionable locker room. I want him on this team for  quite some time 

There should be absolutely ZERO doubt among the fan base that JD knows how to build a football team and regardless of how this season plays out we should all feel downright thrilled with where the organization is.  This season could have spiraled out of control a number of times and instead, with some of the worst QB play in the league we are in the playoff hunt in december.

We have withstood training camp injuries, a QB controversy, in- season injuries all while winning games with a roster that is one of the youngest in the league.  Really amazing to see where the organization is today compared to when we had Adam Gase and Mike Macaganan here.

[T0mShane]

1 hour ago, Trotter said:

Cj’ comments are a bit difficult to follow but if I understand it correctly he started texting Zach on Sunday and did so a few times thru Tuesday night.

zach did not respond until wed?

Hope that is not the way it happened

Also weird that Uzomah and Zach didn’t speak face to face(?) They looked like bros all summer long. 

[T0mShane]

27 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

This will be the bet thing to ever happen to Zach Wilson and this Jets franchise.  He has been served a dose of humble pie.  He will learn what it means to be a leader from this.

Matt hasselbeck gave a great example of something similiar happening to him when he got to seattle.  He was handed the starting job, was immature, was not a leader etc etc etc.  He got benched for Dilfer for awhile and when he earned the job back, he was 100% a better player and teammate because of it.

Zach will bounce back from this.  Hes here for at least 2 more years.  he will get another shot at some point during that time.

I don’t know, man. Didn’t Zach encounter this exact same scenario after his sophomore year at BYU? 

[Biggs]

Zach doesn't need to be humbled.  He needs to play big in big games.  In the biggest game against our biggest rival he sucked. The suck was so great that my ears poped watching the game  from my living room in CT.  And yes CT is in New England which also sucks.

It's also pretty clear that he took off 2 weeks after the bye before the biggest game of the season.  Had he played well nobody cares.  Namath showed up a half hour before games hung over and put on a show.  Nobody cared.  It'a all about his play.  

He should have gotten his brain scoped when he got his knee fixed.

[SickJetFan]

1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

Uzomah was paid specifically to come in and mentor Zach Wilson on how to be a professional. He spent all summer traveling around with that Zach/Berrios crew. If Uzomah is making this public, it must have been pretty rough sledding with him. Uzomah and Mosley are the two guys on the record as saying Zach ****ed up, and those are the two most respected leaders in that locker room. 

nah - he looks and talks like a goof sorry.  I don't think that was part of the deal.

[Trotter]

2 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

Also weird that Uzomah and Zach didn’t speak face to face(?) They looked like bros all summer long. 

Thought the same.

figured text is the way younger generations communicate .

old guys like me still prefer face to face. 
 

[BigRy56]

It’s really hard to see how Zach comes back and successfully becomes the face of the franchise at this point 

[CSNY]

9 minutes ago, Biggs said:

Zach doesn't need to be humbled.  He needs to play big in big games.  In the biggest game against our biggest rival he sucked. The suck was so great that my ears poped watching the game  from my living room in CT.  And yes CT is in New England which also sucks.

It's also pretty clear that he took off 2 weeks after the bye before the biggest game of the season.  Had he played well nobody cares.  Namath showed up a half hour before games hung over and put on a show.  Nobody cared.  It'a all about his play.  

He should have gotten his brain scoped when he got his knee fixed.

According to John Schmidt Joe was well respected in the locker room. Being the big bonus baby a lot of veterans who weren’t making nearly as much as him gave him a really hard time and Joe never wavered if caved. He just took it. Became team captain and to a man all of his old teammates respected him and still do to this day Can only hope that Zach learns his lesson and gets the respect back from this team 

[jetswinbaby!]

It never fails...

First, comes the sucking...

Then, comes the rubbing the wrong way...

[green&white]

1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

Uzomah was paid specifically to come in and mentor Zach Wilson on how to be a professional. He spent all summer traveling around with that Zach/Berrios crew. If Uzomah is making this public, it must have been pretty rough sledding with him. Uzomah and Mosley are the two guys on the record as saying Zach ****ed up, and those are the two most respected leaders in that locker room. 

Uzomah seems like a good guy.  Positive locker room presence.  However, I feel like a true leader doesn't go airing dirty laundry to an outsider.  It should stay in the family.

[Matt39]

32 minutes ago, Biggs said:

Zach doesn't need to be humbled.  He needs to play big in big games.  In the biggest game against our biggest rival he sucked. The suck was so great that my ears poped watching the game  from my living room in CT.  And yes CT is in New England which also sucks.

It's also pretty clear that he took off 2 weeks after the bye before the biggest game of the season.  Had he played well nobody cares.  Namath showed up a half hour before games hung over and put on a show.  Nobody cared.  It'a all about his play.  

He should have gotten his brain scoped when he got his knee fixed.

It sounds like Wilson might be a better fit out West. Didn’t he go all the way back to Utah during the bye? 

[juxsta]

FF to 9:20 for Jets talk….

 

 

[peekskill68]

38 minutes ago, BigRy56 said:

It’s really hard to see how Zach comes back and successfully becomes the face of the franchise at this point 

Elijah Moore was walking garbage 2-3 weeks ago.  If Zach shows he can play,  all this will be forgotten.  JMO...

[Integrity28]

1 hour ago, SuicidalSince98 said:

CJ needs to STFU and keep this in house, bad look for everyone