...to go back into a situation where:
1. Your team has already clearly communicated that you have no future there (demoted you twice from starter to THIRD-string)
2. Your offensive line is horrible and there's a very real chance that you will get injured
3. You playing will make exactly ZERO difference in the season's outcome (your team ain't making the playoffs, no way, no how.)

Being reluctant is not the same as saying to the team that you won't play if they call your name, but since Zach (if the rumor is true) feels the same reluctance that almost any player would naturally have in that situation, he's an entitled jerk and people feel the need to smear him in the media, and the media are 100% on board with pushing that narrative.