Zach Wilson Back As Starter In Week 14 For The Jets After Failed Tim Boyle Experiment
Jets head coach Robert Saleh announced Wednesday that Wilson will start Sunday’s game against the Texans.
The comment is an implicit acknowledgement that Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) won’t return this season, which was all but guaranteed after the Jets dropped to 4-8 with a loss to the Falcons this past Sunday.
The Jets then waived Tim Boyle — who had started the past two games — on Tuesday and replaced him with Brett Rypien.
Injured New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers just inserted himself in the organization-wide drama involving Zach Wilson.
Making his weekly appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers blasted the Jets’ organization for recent leaks suggesting that Wilson has turned down an opportunity to return as the team’s starting quarterback.
Aaron Rodgers on alleged leaks from the Jets’ organization It was earlier this week that Dianna Russini and Zach Rosenblatt of The Athletic reported that the Jets were looking to turn back to Wilson as their starter after the failed Tim Boyle experiment.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh has since pushed back against this report. Since all of this drama earlier in the week, New York released Boyle and signed Brett Rypien off the street.
Head coach Robert Saleh announced Wednesday that Wilson will start Sunday’s home game against the Houston Texans.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh says QB Zach Wilson is starting Sunday vs Texans. pic.twitter.com/EYo2U4kYOB
— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2023
“Zach gives us our best chance to win,”
Saleh said.
Saleh stood firm behind Wilson early in the season despite the struggles before the Week 12 benching.
Asked if he envisions Wilson being the starter the rest of the way, Saleh responded: “God willing.”
With New York sitting at 4-8, 14th in the AFC, Wilson will have the next five weeks to pilot a careening jet that hopes to avoid a gruesome crash to end the 2023 season.
Zach Wilson is back in as the New York Jets’ starting quarterback. Wilson, benched for two games after struggling in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, will be under center for the Jets’ home game Sunday against the Houston Texans.
The decision came a day after New York waived Tim Boyle following two ineffective starts and signed Brett Rypien off Seattle’s practice squad.
Siemian will serve as Wilson’s backup and Rypien will be the emergency No. 3 quarterback — the role in which Wilson served the past two games.
The Jets (4-8) have lost five in a row and appear headed to a 13th straight season without a playoff berth.
“At the same time, of course there’s a chip of feeling like I need to prove something,”
the quarterback said.
Saleh said Monday he wasn’t ready to name a starting quarterback and Wilson found himself the subject of controversy when The Athletic reported he was reluctant to start again, citing injury concerns.
Saleh dismissed that report, saying Wilson came to his office and said he wanted to start this week.
Saleh added Wednesday he didn’t feel the need to address the team regarding the story.
“I am not concerned one bit about that report,”
Saleh said.
“The locker room’s in a great place.”
Wilson said he also didn’t speak to the team about the report, but added there was no truth to him being reluctant to play again this season.
Saleh said he always has believed Wilson gave the Jets the best chance to win but made the previous switch at quarterback to try to spark the offense.
Boyle cleared waivers Wednesday and is a free agent, although Saleh said re-signing him to the practice squad is a possibility.
Meanwhile, Rodgers has been progressing quickly as he tries to return this season, but the 40-year-old quarterback didn’t practice Wednesday.
Saleh also still wouldn’t rule out Rodgers playing again this season.
After two weeks testing quarterback Tim Boyle as the team’s starter, the New York Jets are reverting back to Zach Wilson ahead of their matchup with the Houston Texans in Week 14.
The Jets will have Siemian back up Wilson, while Brett Rypien was signed Tuesday off the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad to serve as the emergency third-string quarterback on Sunday.
Saleh didn’t think so two weeks ago when the Jets were blown out by the Buffalo Bills on the road, where Wilson was benched for Boyle in the second half.
However, after watching the Jets’ putrid offensive performances the last two weeks, Saleh was leaning toward Wilson being the starter once again on Monday, per ESPN. But a report from The Athletic stated Wilson was “reluctant” to return to the field this year for the Jets.
Rodgers is miraculously back practicing with the Jets and hasn’t ruled out returning this season. With the baton passed back to Wilson, he will look to improve on a 3-6 record as a starter this year in his third NFL season after being selected second overall by New York in 2021.
It continues to be a season that has shocked Jets fans considering all the hype surrounding the team, especially with HBO’s “Hard Knocks” giving an all-access look at how Rodgers was acclimating to his new franchise.
Wilson will try yet again to prove he can lead an offense that’s desperate for yards and points.
The New York Jets are 4-8 and in 14th place in the AFC standings.
The 2023 disaster season in New York seemingly gets worse every week.
After it was reported that Wilson rebuffed the Jets (and Rodgers) about returning as their starting quarterback, the team officially named him the starter anyway.
For what it’s worth, Saleh claimed Wilson gives the Jets their best chance to win and that he was actually fired up to play again.
