Is Zach Wilson out vs Bears in Week 12? Jets QB’s status resolved with HC Robert Saleh unimpressed
Zach Wilson was poor last week during a painful loss in which his defense only surrendered three points. Combined with other recent losses, he has officially been benched.
Head coach Robert Saleh was noncommital when asked about who the New York Jets, who are currently the first team out of the AFC playoffs following the 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots, would go with moving forward.
He's now officially moving last year's second overall pick to the bench, according to Adam Schefter.
Breaking: During a team meeting minutes ago, Jets players were informed that Zach Wilson is not starting Sunday's game vs. the Chicago Bears, sources tell ESPN.
Wilson — who had a 5-2 record as a starting QB this season, with both losses coming vs. the Pats — is being benched. https://t.co/fdl3mBmIHq
Why is Zach Wilson not playing vs the Bears in Week 12?
This also comes after the quarterback largely refused to accept any blame for the loss when the Jets defense was so good. They held the Patriots to three points, only losing thanks to a punt return touchdown with less than 30 seconds left.
The Jets are a surprising contender this year, and if they had scored more than three points, they would have moved to 7-3 and been at least the fifth seed in the current playoff lineup. Instead, Saleh is moving to the bench to try and keep the team's playoff hopes alive.
Will Zach Wilson start again for the New York Jets?
Following the benching, it's fair to wonder whether Zach Wilson will start again for New York. The Jets are in a very unique situation. Normally, teams that draft a quarterback second-overall in a draft are still bad for a couple of seasons as they rebuild.
The Jets, however, are not. They're pretty good, which is why Saleh feels he can't give his second-year quarterback any more leniency.
The Jets were really bad for such a long time that they had to take a quarterback like Wilson early in the draft. However, he's now becoming the reason they can't reach the next level.
With that being said, it is possible that Zach Wilson will start again this year. They may use him differently, however, demanding more from him. This may be a warning shot to ruffle Wilson's feathers, just to let him know that he has to play better.
The Jets invested a lot in Wilson and will want to continue to see if he's worth it. For now, he's not playing well, but that might not always be the case.