Zach Wilson’s Jets number gives him shot at Super Bowl first

So Zach Wilson — who wore both No. 1 and No. 11 at Brigham Young — has chosen to wear No. 2 as a Jet. He made that official on Thursday.

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OK, look: You know and I know that this means absolutely nothing in regard to whether Zach Wilson will be a successful quarterback with the Jets. Logically, intellectually, sensibly, we can all agree that the number on a player’s jersey is merely a way to keep track of who he is. There is zero power in a number. Less than zero. It is a piece of trivia, nothing more.

(Not that there’s ever REALLY anything at all logical, intellectual or sensible about stuff like this in sports …)

So Wilson — who wore both No. 1 and No. 11 at Brigham Young — has chosen to wear No. 2 as a Jet. He made that official on Thursday.

“I’m just mixing it up, doing something new,” Wilson said. “I like any single-digit number, I think they’re cool. I was the second pick, so that’s a good reason to switch it up. Not much reason behind it, but I just think it’s a cool number.”

It is also …

(And, again, this means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING …)

It is also a number that has never been worn by a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Matt Ryan came closest. He came, in fact, about as close as you can come to winning a Super Bowl without actually winning a Super Bowl, when he led the Falcons to a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI before taking part in the greatest gag job in NFL history.

Doug Flutie wore No. 2 for the Bears and for the Patriots, but it wasn’t until he switched to 7 in Buffalo that he had cereal flakes named after him. No. 2 has been good for baseball players (notably Derek Jeter) and basketball players (Kawhi Leonard) and hockey players (Brian Leetch). Secretariat wore No. 2 when he won the 1973 Belmont by 31 lengths.

But football? There is just one player in NFL history wore No. 2 (though he also dabbled with several other numbers) who made it to the Hall of Fame: Charley Trippi. The good news: He played a little quarterback for the Chicago Cardinals. The bad: He took his last snap in 1954. Kickers and punters wear 2, mostly.

Still, nobody had ever won a Super Bowl wearing 4 before Brett Favre did it, or 5 before Joe Flacco. Kurt Warner christened 13, Brad Johnson 14, Doug Williams 17. Johnny Unitas is the only 19 to win one, though he played less than half of Super Bowl V before getting hurt and being replaced by Earl Morrall (who joins Jeff Hostetler, Patrick Mahomes and Bart Starr as one of four QBs to win a total of five Super Bowls wearing 15).

Twelve, of course, was not available to Wilson because it belongs to Joe Namath forever. Twelve is also the most popular number to quarterback a Super Bowl champ. It has been done 18 times: by Namath and Aaron Rodgers and Ken Stabler (once each), by Roger Staubach and Bob Griese (twice), by Terry Bradshaw (4) and a certain 199th pick in the 2000 draft (7; that’s Tom Brady, by the way).

Sixteen was available, and 16s have won the Big Game seven times (four for Joe Montana, two for Jim Plunkett, one for Len Dawson). Wilson’s affinity for single digits could have led him to 7 (John Elway and Ben Roethlisberger, two; Joe Theismann, one), 8 (Troy Aikman, three; Steve Young and Trent Dilfer, one each) or 9 (Jim McMahon, Drew Brees, Nick Foles) which have all won multiples.

Or it could’ve led him to try the still-virgin numbers of 1 (despite Warren Moon’s best efforts), or 6 (Baker Mayfield is trying to break that one in). Russell Wilson won one (and should have won another) wearing 3, meaning that right now, as we speak, there is exactly one more Super Bowl-winning quarterback who wore “WILSON” on the back of a jersey as opposed to “2” on the front.

But there’s always room for newcomers. Nobody had won one wearing 11 until Phil Simms did (he was joined later by Mark Rypien). Nobody had won one wearing 10 until Eli Manning did it, and he remains alone there, as does his brother, Peyton, the only QB to win Supes wearing 18.

So Zach Wilson can be the first. And if No. 2 can ever run off a field as Joe Namath once did, reminding the world who was No. 1? He won’t be the last. Book it.

Vac’s Whacks

I’m not sure what stoked the morbid curiosities of Mets fans more this week: the Mariners elevating Jarred Kelenic or the Pirates releasing Todd Frazier. One is gone (at least for the next six years). One never seems to really go away. Both gifts that keep on giving, courtesy of Brodie Van Wagenen.

Admit it, Knicks fans: Awful as that loss to the Lakers was Tuesday night, it was good to actually lose sleep over a basketball game again, wasn’t it?

I’m not saying the Giants should make a play for Aaron Rodgers, but I’m not going to lie and say that wouldn’t be an awfully cool develop-ment if it ever happened. Which is probably won’t. Right? Makes no sense. But still …

I know this is a small part of a great show, but I really kind of want to know just how good a basketball player Mare of Easttown was. UConn good? Fordham good? Solid D-II good? Is it too much to find this out somehow?

Whack Back at Vac

Richard Zyontz: I’m 63, a lifelong Mets fan. On the heels of Willie Mays’ 90th birthday, shouldn’t New York get a chance to honor him and retire his number? For people my age, it would be a flood of nostalgia and love; for those younger, an education and appreciation for history. And for Citi Field, a little balance to go with the Wilpons’ lingering Dodger-philia.

Vac: Sign me up for this. Willie only played a season-and-a-half with the Mets, but he was National League New York’s last true superstar. The Mets represent that. Retire 24.

Rick Bause: Need further proof New York is a basketball town? The day after Gerrit Cole blanks the Rays and the Mets welcome back Matt Harvey with their seventh straight win, the back page headline in The Post proclaims “THEY’RE IN” as the Knicks clinch a playoff berth for the first time in eight years. Nuff said.

Vac: I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: It wasn’t that long ago that baseball season in New York — a 100 percent genuine baseball town — didn’t truly begin until the day after the Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs.

@billy_lyons_: Growing up and going through adversity is hard enough. Doing it with Matt Harvey’s level of fame in New York is even harder. I’m glad people took the high road because he seems like a changed man.

@MikeVacc: I’ve been around Matt Harvey many times after he pitched. He was never better than he was Wednesday. It’s a credit to him.

Richard Siegelman: If Patrick Mazeika can somehow continue his pace of three RBIs for every four plate appearances — and if he can equal Pete Rose’s 14,053 at bats — Mazeika would accumulate 10,539 RBIs.

Vac: FEAR THE BEARD!

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Mike Vaccaro