Josh Allen defends Zach Wilson ahead of Week 9 game

May 7, 2021; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson during rookie minicamp. Mandatory Credit: New York Jets/Handout Photo via USA TODAY Sports

Things have not gone particularly well for New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson since his return from injury. Wilson has struggled on the field and had his maturity questioned. But he has seen an unlikely ally come to his defense: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Although Allen is now considered one of the best quarterbacks in football, he is no stranger to the criticism Wilson is facing. During the early part of his career, many questioned Allen’s ability and maturity as well.

“I think it’s a guy trying to make a play, and I was at that same position,” Allen said on Kyle Brandt’s Basement podcast this week. “I threw three picks against the Patriots my second year, and that’s kind of the game where it all clicked for me, after that game. So you can take that for what it is.

“Sometimes it takes a little longer. It took me a while to kind of understand the nuances of this game and trying not to do too much. I think that’s what it comes down to is not trying to do too much. And allowing you to trust your guys on the field with you.”

With the Bills and Jets slated to play on Sunday, Allen stopped short of offering any additional advice to Wilson. For now.

“I don’t want to give him too much advice before we play him,” he said. “Maybe next week we can have a longer talk. But guys got to go out there and play football, man. We can’t think about making mistakes because that’s ultimately when you do make mistakes. You just got to go out there and ball.”

There’s no guarantee Wilson follows in Allen’s footsteps, but patience should be required. After all, Wilson has started just 18 career games.