FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- If New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has a rough day at the office and gets blasted on Twitter, he won't know about it. Or so he says.
Wilson revealed Tuesday that he deleted all social media apps from his phone at the start of training camp to block out the noise. It's not a New York thing; he actually began the practice during his college days at BYU.
"It's a great way to disconnect and my mind is 100% here, focused on what it's supposed to be focused on," he said after practice. "I'm spending time with what my coaches are saying in the meeting room rather than everybody else."
A lot of athletes use social media to connect with fans and to promote their brand, but Wilson apparently believes it's not worth the trouble. He's into it during the offseason but relies on a social media team to select content once football starts in July.
"When it comes down to reading things, I don't ever get into that stuff," he said. "I don't ever just scroll down social media."
He has a difficult job, playing quarterback for the Jets -- a team who hasn't made the playoffs in 11 years. They drafted Wilson second overall in 2021, with the hope that he'd lead a renaissance. He struggled as a rookie and has had a few uneven practices in the first week of training camp.
When he throws an interception in practice, it's big news on Twitter. His social life also has become fodder for social media.
"You always get people, [saying], 'Don't look at social media, blah, blah, blah.' There's good and bad that comes from everything," Wilson said. "For me, it just comes down to limiting what voices I really need to hear and, right now, it's here, hearing what my coaches have to say, what the other quarterbacks have to say, and really what my teammates are thinking on every single play.
"Even parents sometimes can be a distraction."
Wilson's mother, Lisa Wilson, is active on social media, with 119,000 followers on Instagram.