The New York Jets make a quarterback change. Jets players were told at a team meeting on Wednesday that Zach Wilson would not start Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, according to ESPN and confirmed by CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones.
It will be Mike White who will replace Wilson under center. He gets the go-ahead on veteran Joe Flacco. The former Super Bowl MVP started the first three games this season when Wilson was sidelined with an injury. He went 1-2, completing 58.7% of his passes for 901 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
White started three games with the Jets last season, going 1-2. He had an impressive outing in an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, where he threw for 405 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34-31 victory. White also had a tough outing against the Buffalo Bills just two weeks later, in which he threw for 251 yards and four interceptions in a 45-17 loss.
This quarterback change was a move many saw coming. After a Sunday full of drama, Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters he was do not engage to start Wilson against the Bears. In the 10-3 loss to the rival New England Patriots last week, Wilson completed just 9 of 22 passes for 77 yards. He missed several single throws and dropped a few potential interceptions. The Jets recorded just 103 total rushing yards — and had just two total yards in the second half. This led Saleh to call his offense “dog s—“.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, Wilson then failed to take his fair share of the blame for the embarrassing performance. When asked if he felt like he let the Jets’ defense down after their incredible effort, Wilson replied with a quick “no.” Sources in the Jets’ locker room told SNY the quarterback “walked around after the game ‘like he wasn’t the problem’.” It apparently rubbed ‘more than a few’ in the wrong meaning.
In seven games played this season, Wilson completed 55.6% of his passes for 1,279 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. Wilson has the fewest passing touchdowns in 20 career starts of any active quarterback (13), he’s never had more than two passing touchdowns in a single game, he has more games with less than 100 passing yards than 300 passing yards, and he ranks last in the league in completion percentage in each of the past two seasons.
Saleh told reporters Wednesday that Wilson’s career in New York was not over and he would play again this season. The coach said his young signalman “just needed a reset”. The quarterback position has held the Jets this season. Now they’re going to try someone new.