New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will get the starting role again this week after being benched in favor of Tim Boyle two weeks ago.
Wilson was demoted to the third-string QB the past two games, with Boyle getting the start and veteran Trevor Siemian as the backup. Now, he has the chance to prove himself again.
Zach Wilson To Start for Jets on Sunday
Head coach Robert Saleh announced Wednesday that Wilson will start Sunday’s home game against the Houston Texans.
“Zach gives us our best chance to win,” Saleh said. “Giving him another opportunity to go prove that.”
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Nothing has seemed to go according to plan for the Jets this season after Aaron Rodgers went out with an Achilles tear just a few plays into the season. Wilson took over from there, and it’s been a wild ride ever since for the team.
On Monday, reports from Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini of The Athletic said that Wilson was “reluctant [toward] stepping back in” as the starter.
While the reporters who put out the information stand on their reporting, head coach Robert Saleh refuted the notion.
“Let’s be clear, if he were reluctant to play, he wouldn’t be here,” Saleh said, noting several times that Wilson “wants the ball.”
Saleh added that “empathetically,” he would understand the emotional toll Wilson has gone through, having been benched multiple times in the past two seasons.
“The young man wants the ball, he wants to start, and believes he’s the best quarterback in the room and the best quarterback for this team and the guy who gives us the best chance to win,” Saleh said. “And I’ll tell you guys the same thing I told him. I appreciate it, I appreciate the fact that he wants to play; I’m just not there yet.”
Two days after those remarks, Wilson was officially named the starter for Sunday.
While Wilson has struggled greatly this season, Saleh still believes he gives the team the best chance to win. In 10 games, including nine starts, Wilson has completed 59.2% of his passes for 1,944 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions while losing five fumbles.
Meanwhile, in three games, Boyle has completed 48 of 77 pass attempts for 360 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions.
When asked if he envisions Wilson being the starter for the rest of the season, Saleh responded, “God willing.”
The Jets currently sit at 4-8, and turning back to Wilson is the team’s last hope to end the season on a higher note.
While rumor has it that Rodgers may make a return this season, it is highly unlikely, especially if the team cannot move themselves into playoff contention.
After the reports that Wilson was reluctant to return to the starting position, Rodgers defended him, saying the report was “chicken s—.”
“I’ll tell you that I love the kid. I’ve spent a lot of time with him, and I think he’s an amazing young man,” Rodgers said. “He’s been through a lot of s— in the last three years, and he’s got every right to be frustrated and disappointed about it.”
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