On the day he was benched as the starting quarterback for the New York Jets, Zach Wilson displayed the maturity and accountability that had been lacking and led, in part, to his demotion.
Wilson faced reporters and took responsibility for his on- and off-field mistakes. He seemed sincere and willing to put in the work to reclaim the starting role.
“This is going to be a good opportunity, a humbling opportunity, for me to put my head down and work harder,” Wilson said Wednesday.
"This is going to be a good opportunity, a humbling opportunity, for me to put my head down and work harder."
– Zach Wilson pic.twitter.com/DPoBYb5CnW
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 23, 2022
Jets coach Robert Saleh said earlier in the day that Wilson needed a “reset,” physically and emotionally. Wilson will be inactive Sunday against the Chicago Bears and will work this week on improving different facets of his game that have gone awry in recent weeks.
Mike White will start against the Bears, his fourth NFL start. Veteran Joe Flacco will back him up.
“I’ve got to be a better football player and a better leader for these guys,” said Wilson, one of the Jets captains. “I have an opportunity to turn the page here as a player and as a leader and to be able to take it a step forward and to be here 100 percent for my guys and be able to handle these situations correctly.”
Zach Wilson's on-field issues
Wilson is 5-2 since returning from arthroscopic knee surgery. However, his play has been erratic and he’s completed 55.6 percent of his passes, worst among starting quarterbacks in the NFL. In four of his past five games, Wilson has thrown for 110, 121, 154 and 77 yards respectively.
The 23-year-old bottomed out in a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots last week. The 77 passing yards were his fewest in the NFL. He couldn’t make a play as the Jets totaled 103 yards on offense (just two in the second half), six first downs and went three-and-out on five straight possessions in the second half.
Wilson also helped cost the Jets a possible win in Week 8 when he was picked off three times in a 22-17 loss to the Patriots.
“It wasn’t even just the two Patriots games,” Wilson admitted. “I’ve had some easy throws I’ve missed, whether it’s this year or last year, and that can’t be the thing.”
Saleh said that the plan is to get Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, “back on the football field this season.” He emphasized that Wilson is not done by any means as the Jets quarterback.
“Zach’s career here is not over,” Saleh said. “That’s not even close to the case.”
Zach Wilson addressing off-field missteps
Wilson said that he addressed his teammates, specifically about postgame comments he made last week. The young quarterback faced much criticism for not being accountable for his poor play. And he took a lot of heat for saying “No” when asked if he let the sterling Jets defense down after the latest loss to the Patriots.
"He's a great teammate, he's a great dude, and this whole time, this situation is just showing that even more so. He's been super supportive."
– Mike White on Zach Wilson pic.twitter.com/RNIDCFCwFg
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 23, 2022
White will make his season debut Sunday. He played four games and made three starts last season after Wilson sustained a knee injury. The 27-year-old famously completed 37 of 45 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL start in 2021, a Week 7 upset of the Cincinnati Bengals. Two weeks later, he threw four picks in a 45-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
“I can be there 100 percent my teammates and support Mike on this journey that he’s going on,” Wilson said.
The Jets are 6-4 and in the thick of the AFC playoff race. They have not reached the postseason since the 2010 season. So, there’ll be pressure on White to step up and on Wilson to find his game in the coming weeks.
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