The most scrutinized quarterback ahead of the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders Sunday Night Football matchup won’t be Aaron Rodgers, even if he’s seen throwing the football in warmups. It also won’t be Jimmy Garoppolo, as the Raiders have benched him.
It’s a passer who many believe should be next to get seated: Zach Wilson.
Who Is Available Behind Zach Wilson if Jets Pull Him?
Wilson was reinserted abruptly in the Jets’ opening game as Rodgers fell on the opening offensive series against the Buffalo Bills. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has since had some up-and-down moments behind center.
But many fans and analysts believe he’s been on the downside as of late, as the Jets are 3-4 with him as the starter.
New York is currently involved in some traffic congestion in their race for a playoff berth. Say the Jets end up pivoting out of giving Wilson the reins. Who becomes next in line?
Rodgers won’t be next up since he’s yet to be cleared. Tim Boyle, meanwhile, would be.
Boyle, 29, is a five-year veteran out of Eastern Kentucky. He’s currently on his fourth NFL team.
Turns out Boyle has ties to Rodgers. The 6’4″ passer ended up beginning his career with the Green Bay Packers when Rodgers was there. Boyle ended up seeing 11 games of action for the Packers — completing just three passes out of four career attempts.
Boyle, though, earned his most action with the Detroit Lions. He managed to get three starts in 2021 during Dan Campbell’s first season as head coach. Boyle ended up with 61 completions out of 94 attempts, tallying 526 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
MORE: Is Aaron Rodgers a Serious Contender for NFL Comeback Player of the Year?
Boyle spent last season with the Chicago Bears and threw the ball eight times, completing just two passes. He was also intercepted twice.
But Boyle is the only other QB on the Jets’ active roster. Rodgers remains on injured reserve, and Trevor Siemian is on the practice squad.
Why Has Wilson Faced Criticism With Calls To Be Benched?
Though Wilson has managed to get the Jets to be 4-4 post-Rodgers, he’s produced some underwhelming results by the standards of Gang Green fans.
He’s yet to throw for more than 300 yards in a game. Plus, in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Wilson took eight sacks and didn’t throw a touchdown pass. He finished with a season-best 263 passing yards, but the Jets were routed 27-6.
Wilson has especially looked inefficient in losses. Against the Dallas Cowboys, he threw three interceptions and delivered a lowly 44.4% completion percentage in the 30-10 loss.
In addition to the Dallas loss, Wilson struggled the following week on Sept. 24 against the New England Patriots — throwing for just 157 yards in the 15-10 loss.
On a night he shares the field with rookie fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell, it’s Wilson facing the most watchful eyes as the passer with the strongest chance of being pulled during the game.
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