Albert Einstein defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results." The Jets may want to listen to the scientist.
The Jets want to make a switch at quarterback. After another embarrassing offensive performance in Week 13, New York is looking for a spark yet again in a season that has been riddled with poor quarterback play.
The problem? New York's perceived solution is going back to Zach Wilson, the very same quarterback who was benched two weeks ago for a signal-caller with minimal NFL experience and more college interceptions (26) than touchdowns (12).
New York started Tim Boyle the last two weeks, but it was an ugly showing from the UConn/Eastern Kentucky product. In those two contests, Boyle completed 65% of his passes for 367 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. After a bad pick against the Falcons on Sunday, the Jets benched Boyle for backup Trevor Siemian, who fared no better, completing 5 of 13 passes for 66 yards in the losing effort.
With the Jets sitting at 4-8, it's unlikely that the playoffs are on the table. New York is three games out of a wild card spot with five weeks remaining in the season. While not impossible, it certainly seems improbable, especially with an offense putting up historically bad numbers.
IYER: NFL power rankings heading into Week 14
Here are the latest updates on the Jets quarterback situation, and who will be starting Week 14 against the Texans.
Who is the Jets starting quarterback?
According to The Athletic, Robert Saleh and his coaching staff are "leaning towards" going back to Wilson after a disastrous two weeks of Boyle at the helm.
However, there is a major caveat, as Diana Russini and Zack Rossenblatt reported that Wilson is "reluctant" to step back into the starting role, creating even more intrigue at the position.
The Jets want to make a switch at QB. The team is leaning towards Zach Wilson to take over, but he is reluctant to stepping back in, sources tell @DMRussini and me. The team is hoping he changes his mind as they continue to discuss the next steps.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) December 4, 2023
More on @TheAthletic shortly.
Saleh addressed the report later in the day on Monday, refuting the fact that Wilson is "reluctant" to return to the starting role, while not providing any updates on who will be QB1 against Houston.
Coach Saleh says he recently spoke with QB Zach Wilson.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 4, 2023
Saleh also says he has not yet decided on a starting QB this week. pic.twitter.com/CowLiGjPAm
"Let's be clear — if (Wilson) was reluctant to play he wouldn't be here," Saleh said. "I actually, coincidentally, just got done speaking to him. He came in about a half an hour ago, and we had a really good conversation. The young man wants the ball. He wants to start. He 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.
"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 (on a decision)."
Under normal circumstances, a quarterback, particularly a young one who is likely headed elsewhere within the next year, would never pass over the opportunity to lead an offense. However, as Jets fans are well aware, there is nothing normal about the quarterback situation for Gang Green.
Wilson was the starter during his first two seasons in New York but was demoted to the backup role when the Jets landed Aaron Rodgers in an offseason trade with the Packers. However, Rodger's 2023 season came to an abrupt end when he suffered an Achilles injury four plays into his Jets debut.
That put Wilson back into the QB1 role. The hope was he learned enough under Rodgers in training camp and during the preseason that his issues from previous years would be subsided. However, after weeks of poor play that included an in-game benching, Wilson lost the starting role again, as the Jets made a switch to Boyle ahead of their Black Friday contest against the Dolphins.
MORE: When is Aaron Rodgers expected to return to the Jets?
The demotion was warranted. Through 10 games, Wilson had thrown for 1,944 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing only 59.2 percent of his passes. New York had lost three games in a row and needed to turn the season around to make a postseason run.
"Zach is fine. He has come a long way from a year ago," Saleh said. "I think we all agree, obviously, we wish it was better for him, we wish we all could have been better for him. Like I have said, it is not a one-person thing, but just to see if we could get something going, but he was good."
Now, two weeks after yanking the keys out of his hands, the Jets are crawling back to Wilson, hoping to give a second, third, whatever chance it is for him to find a groove with the offense — that is, if Wilson obliges.
Few quarterbacks have been scrutinized as much as Wilson has since debuting in 2021. There were high expectations on the BYU product when he was selected second in the 2021 NFL Draft, ahead of other QBs such as Justin Fields and a plethora of talent at other positions, such as Ja'Marr Chase, Penei Sewell, Micah Parsons and Patrick Surtain II.
It's safe to say that Wilson has not come close to meeting those expectations, marking another quarterback bust drafted by the Jets. The fans have turned on him too, with this year's poor performance doing nothing to disprove the doubters. When Boyle took over for Wilson, there were rumblings that it was the last time Wilson would suit up for the Jets.
It leaves the Jets and Wilson in an awkward situation. It's evident that the coaching staff doesn't have the confidence in him to lead the offense; otherwise, the initial benching for Boyle would never have happened.
However, both Boyle and Siemian proved that while Wilson is no upper-echelon signal caller, he may be the best apple in a rotten bunch.
While the 24-year-old's performance on the field has warranted criticism, it's fair to note that the Jets offense has an awful offensive line and a banged-up run game. So, what quarterback would want to take over that offense again just to see the same critics flaming him online if he falls short?
The hope is that Wilson changes his mind and agrees to be under center when the Jets face the Texans on Sunday. However, nothing is set in stone yet, and the Jets may come to find out that the game of yo-yo-ing Wilson to and from the bench was a dangerous one.
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