Garrett Wilson believes this is the year his Jets fortunes finally change

Yes, playoffs. 

Garrett Wilson used the “P” word when asked what a successful season would entail. 

“The playoffs, no doubt about it,” Wilson said. 

The standout wide receiver didn’t make any guarantees, but he clearly believes in what he has seen in the spring and summer. 

“Very realistic, very realistic,” he said of the playoffs. “I mean, I think it should happen, I’ll say that. It’s our job to play ball and do it. 

“I’m a competitive guy. I’ve [been] working with these guys every day for the last four, five months, since April. I’ve seen everything I need to see out of the guys we have, and I’ve done things differently personally to try and play my role to the best of my ability this year to help fill in what was missing these past years to keep us from getting there.” 

He is obviously tired of losing. After going 31-4 in three years at Ohio State, Wilson has yet to experience much winning with the Jets. In his four seasons in green, they are 22-46 and are coming off a disastrous 3-14 campaign. 

That didn’t stop him from signing a four-year, $130 million contract extension in July 2025 — he wanted to be part of the solution for a franchise that has the longest playoff drought, 15 years and counting, in North American professional sports. 

Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) attempts to gets by Buccaneers defensive back Rashad Wisdom. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

It’s hard to fault Wilson for the franchise’s shortcomings. Despite a revolving door at quarterback in his Jets tenure, he recorded three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to start his career before an injury-shortened 2025 year. But the 26-year-old Wilson has looked inward for ways he can be better. 

“On the mental side of it, as far as what do you think about when you leave the facility,” Wilson, who was limited to seven games a year ago due to injury, said. “I’ve always prided myself on doing things right. Looking in the mirror after games, after practices, the way you watch film, the way you take notes. Little things like that. My training is something I think I’ve mastered over these four years. Now it’s more about the nuance of it, trying to find what has been missing these last four years to get us over the hump on my end.” 

Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson speaks to the media after practice. Bill Kostroun/New York Post

He is encouraged the losing ways are about to change. It is something he talks about frequently with teammates like Breece Hall, Joe Tippmann, Jeremy Ruckert, Max Mitchell and Xavier Newman-Johnson. They have been through difficult times together, and he wants to experience winning with them, too. 

“I’d be lying if I said that’s not all we talk about, ‘What’s missing? How do we get over the hump? What can we do?’ ” Wilson said. “You get yourself into a black hole, honestly, trying to figure it out. … That’s all we think about, talk about, because we’re dying to get this thing rolling. 

“It ain’t like you go have a season and then don’t talk about it. We all love this game, we all expect to win every time we take the field. After we don’t, that’s all that clouds your mind. All of a sudden, you think the day wasn’t good, the week wasn’t good. That’s the reality of our lives. We’re trying to get rid of that.” 

The Jets are viewed as improved after bringing in a star-studded rookie class that is led by No. 2 overall pick David Bailey and adding veterans like Geno Smith, Demario Davis and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Wilson can’t wait to get going Sunday. 

“We have as good of an opportunity as anyone else in the league,” he said. “I’m excited. We got a helluva group here.”