Zach Wilson | American Football Wiki - Fandom

Zach Wilson

Wilson at the 2021 NFL Draft Red Carpet prior to draft in Apr. 2021.
No. 0 - Miami Dolphins
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1999-08-03) August 3, 1999 (age 26)
Draper, Utah, U.S.
Listed height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed wight:	214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:	Corner Canyon
(Draper, Utah)
College:	BYU (2018-2020)
NFL Draft:	2021 / Rnd: 1 / Pck: 2nd
Career history
New York Jets (2021–2023) Denver Broncos (2024) Miami Dolphins (2025-present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl MVP 2020 Boca Raton Bowl MVP
Career statistics
Passing yards:	6,325
TDs-INTs:	23-25
Passer rating:	73.2
Completion %:	57.1%
Rushing yards:	498
Rushing TDs:	5
Fumbles:	17
Player stats: PFR

Zachary Kapono Wilson (born August 3, 1999) is an American professional football quarterback currently playing for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at BYU and was selected second overall by the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson served as the Jets' starter during his first three seasons, but inconsistent play and injuries led to him being traded to the Broncos in 2024. In 2025 Wilson signed with the Miami Dolphins

Contents

• 1 Early life and high school
• 2 College career
  • 2.1 2018 season
  • 2.2 2019 season
  • 2.3 2020 season
  • 2.4 Statistics
• 3 Professional career
  • 3.1 2022
  • 3.2 2023
  • 3.3 Denver Broncos
  • 3.4 Miami Dolphins
• 4 NFL career statistics
• 5 Personal life
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Early life and high school[]

Zachary Kapono Wilson was born in Draper, Utah, on August 3, 1999.[1] He attended Corner Canyon High School and passed for 2,986 yards and 24 touchdowns while also rushing for 752 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. Originally committed to play quarterback at Boise State University, he later decommitted and chose to attend Brigham Young University (BYU) instead. [2]

College career[]

2018 season[]

As a true freshman at BYU in 2018, Wilson played in nine games and made seven starts. He started his first career game against Hawaii, becoming the youngest quarterback to start a game for BYU.[3] He finished the season having completed 120 of 182 passes for 1,578 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.[4] He was named the MVP of the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl after completing all 18 of his passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.[5]

2019 season[]

As a sophomore in 2019, Wilson started nine games, completing 199 of 319 passes for 2,382 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.[6][7] That season, the Cougars were invited to the 2019 Hawaii Bowl, where Wilson was named BYU's MVP.[8]

2020 season[]

Wilson started 12 games and completed 247 of 336 passes for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 255 yards and 10 touchdowns, breaking Steve Young's school completion percentage in a season at 73.5 percent.[1][9] He was named the offensive MVP of the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl after completing 26 of 34 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns. He and USC safety Talanoa Hufanga were selected as co-recipients of the 2020 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.[1]

Statistics[]

Year	Team	Games		Passing							Rushing
		GP	GS	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2018	BYU	9	7	120	182	65.9	1,578	12	3	157.2	75	221	2.9	2
2019	BYU	9	9	199	319	62.4	2,382	11	9	130.8	67	167	2.5	3
2020	BYU	12	12	247	336	73.5	3,692	33	3	196.4	70	254	3.6	10
Career		30	28	566	837	67.6	7,652	56	15	162.9	212	642	3.0	15

Professional career[]

Wilson was selected second overall by the New York Jets in the 2021 NFL draft.[10] On July 29, 2021, Wilson signed a four-year deal with the Jets worth $35.15 million fully guaranteed, which also featured a $22.9 million signing bonus and a fifth year option.In his debut against the Carolina Panthers, Wilson had an interception in the first half, but finished with 258 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a rushing 2-point conversion in the 19–14 defeat. During the Jets' home opener in Week 2, Wilson threw four interceptions against the New England Patriots, including on his first two pass attempts. The Jets subsequently lost 25–6.

Following a 26–0 shutout loss to the Denver Broncos, in which he threw for 160 yards and two interceptions, Wilson earned his first career win against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. Wilson had one interception, but also threw two touchdowns and completed 21 of 34 passes for 297 yards. One of his touchdowns was a 53-yard pass to wide receiver Corey Davis that gave the Jets a 24–17 lead in the fourth quarter, with the team going on to win 27–24 in overtime. Wilson threw his ninth interception during a Week 5 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons, making him the fourth NFL quarterback after DeShone Kizer, Zach Mettenberger, and Blake Bortles to be intercepted in each of his first five starts.

During Week 7 against the Patriots, Wilson suffered a knee injury in the second quarter after being hit by linebacker Matthew Judon. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game, with Mike White replacing him in the 54–13 loss. Following the defeat, it was announced that Wilson had a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which caused him to miss four games. Wilson returned in Week 12 and won his first road game over the Houston Texans. He also scored his first rushing touchdown during the game. Wilson lost four of his last five matchups, with his final win of the season coming against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. However, he improved his turnover differential by not throwing an interception in the five games. Wilson finished his rookie season with 2,334 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 3–10 record.

2022[]

See also: 2022 New York Jets

Wilson missed the first three games of 2022 season due to a non-contact bone bruise and meniscus tear he suffered in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. He made his season debut in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and despite throwing two interceptions, had a 2-yard receiving touchdown from wide receiver Braxton Berrios and led the Jets on a fourth quarter comeback drive to secure the 24–20 victory. The victory began a four-game winning streak for the Jets, although Wilson did not throw a touchdown pass in his next three games. New York's streak ended with a 22–17 loss to the Patriots, in which Wilson had a career-high 355 passing yards and two touchdowns, but also three interceptions.Wilson rebounded the following week when he completed 18 of 25 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown to help secure a 20–17 upset over the Buffalo Bills.

After completing only 9 of 22 passes in a 10–3 loss to the Patriots the next game, Wilson was criticized for not attributing the loss to his performance. Wilson was subsequently demoted to the third-string backup behind Mike White and second-string backup Joe Flacco. Ahead of Week 15, he was promoted to the second option and started the Jets' next two games due to an injury to White. However, after struggling against the Jacksonville Jaguars during Week 16, Wilson was benched for Chris Streveler in the Jets' eventual 19–3 defeat. Wilson was demoted back to third-string behind White and Flacco following White's return and did not take the field again for the remainder of the season.

2023[]

See also: 2023 New York Jets

After the Jets acquired four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Wilson was named Rodgers' backup for the 2023 season, but took the field in the Week 1 Monday Night Football matchup against the Bills when Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury on his first drive. Wilson completed 14 of 21 passes for 140 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 22–16 victory. He was subsequently promoted to starting quarterback. After struggling in his first two starts of the season, Wilson had a strong performance against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football, throwing for 245 yards and 2 touchdowns to overcome a 17–0 deficit to tie the game at 20. However, he lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that allowed Kansas City to win 23–20.

Wilson led the Jets to three straight wins the following weeks, including an upset win over the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, as well as driving 58 yards in 24 seconds with no timeouts on the game-tying drive against the Giants. However, following three weeks of struggles, Wilson was benched for Tim Boyle late in the third quarter of a 32–6 Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He finished the game completing 7 of 15 passes for 81 yards and an interception, although he threw the Jets' first touchdown in 13 quarters of play. Following the Bills loss, Wilson was demoted to third-string quarterback behind Boyle and Trevor Siemian.

After losing both games Boyle started in, the Jets released Boyle and renamed Wilson as their starter for Week 14 against the Texans. In his return, Wilson completed 27 of 36 passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions as the Jets won 30–6. He also finished the game with a 117.9 passer rating, the highest mark of his career. Wilson was named American Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. The following week against the Miami Dolphins, Wilson suffered a concussion during the second quarter and did not return. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Denver Broncos[]

On April 23, 2024, the Denver Broncos announced that they had acquired Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 256; Nick Gargiulo) from the Jets in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 203; the Minnesota Vikings selected Will Reichard). The Broncos declined the fifth-year option on Wilson's contract, making him a free agent after the 2024 season. Denver announced that Wilson would begin the season as the team’s third string quarterback, behind Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham. He did not appear in a game during the season.

Miami Dolphins[]

On March 17, 2025, Wilson signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Miami Dolphins.

NFL career statistics[]

Legend
Led the league
Bold	Career high

Year	Team	Games			Passing									Rushing					Sacks		Fumbles
		GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	Yds	Fum	Lost
2021	NYJ	13	13	3–10	213	383	55.6	2,334	6.1	54	9	11	69.7	29	185	6.4	52	4	44	370	5	1
2022	NYJ	9	9	5–4	132	242	54.5	1,688	7.0	79	6	7	72.8	28	102	3.6	18	1	23	175	1	1
2023	NYJ	12	11	4–7	221	368	60.1	2,271	6.2	68	8	7	77.2	36	211	5.9	20	0	46	340	11	7
2024	DEN	0	0	—	DNP
Career		34	33	12–21	566	993	57.0	6,293	6.3	79	23	25	73.2	93	498	5.4	52	5	113	885	17	9

Personal life[]

Wilson was born to Michael and Lisa Wilson (née Neeleman) and has three brothers and two sisters.[11][12] He has some Hawaiian ancestry, with his middle name Kapono meaning "righteous" in the Hawaiian language.[1][12] Some other members of his family include airline entrepreneur David Neeleman and HealthEquity co-founder Stephen Neeleman.[12]

Wilson was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a child, a trait that runs in his family.[12][13] He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[13] He has said that he "didn't grow up active in the church [and] was never really a churchgoer..." He considers himself a spiritual person, telling Deseret News "I have always had a good relationship with God in my life."

Zach Wilson's little brother Isaac Wilson currently plays quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes

Wilson has been friends with former BYU Cougars teammate Dax Milne since childhood.

In June 2024, Wilson announced his engagement to girlfriend Nicolette Dellanno. On June 28, 2025, Wilson and Nicolette were married in New York City.

References[]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Zach Wilson Named 2020 Polynesian Player of the Year.
2. ↑ Corner Canyon star QB Zach Wilson signs with BYU.
3. ↑ Call, Jeff (October 13, 2018). Zach Wilson becomes youngest QB to start at BYU.
4. ↑ Robinson, Doug (August 25, 2019). ‘All about family’: How those closest to Zach Wilson – Ute fans to the core – influenced his football trajectory and played a hand in landing him at BYU.
5. ↑ BYU QB Zach Wilson a perfect 18 for 18 in Idaho Potato Bowl win over WMU (December 22, 2018).
6. ↑ Drew, Jay (June 22, 2020). A ‘bigger, faster, stronger’ Zach Wilson returns to BYU workouts eager to reclaim his starting quarterback position.
7. ↑ Zach Wilson is still BYU's starting QB, but he may have to fight for his job to keep it.
8. ↑ Shimabuku, Christian (December 24, 2019). Rainbow Warriors reach 10-win mark with last-minute 38–34 win over BYU in Hawaii Bowl.
9. ↑ Herald, Jared Lloyd Daily. How BYU QB Zach Wilson is slicing up defenses early in 2020.
10. ↑ No Secret: Jets Select QB Zach Wilson with No. 2 Pick of NFL Draft.
11. ↑ Zach Wilson - Football.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 ‘All about family’: How those closest to Zach Wilson — Ute fans to the core — influenced his football trajectory and played a hand in landing him at BYU.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 BYU’s Zach Wilson: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of a future first-round NFL draft pick.

External links[]

• New York Jets bio
• BYU Cougars bio
• Zach Wilson article at Wikipedia