Zach Wilson addresses controversy surrounding him and Jets teammates after reports of being benched for Bears game
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is at the wrong end of the stick regarding his starting job in New York. Head coach Robert Saleh announced that Wilson would be benched and that backup quarterback Mike White would be starting this Sunday vs. the Chicago Bears.
Despite being 5-2 as the starting quarterback through seven games this season, Wilson has played terribly and doesn't seem to have progressed from his rookie season.
He spoke with local reporters today and responded to the news by saying it was something he deserved and that he needs to be a better leader.
"It was deserved. The way I handled the situation wasn't right. I got to be a better football player and a better leader. It was a situation I knew I had to bring up to them. It’s tough, man, it’s never fun. But the first thing that kinda went to my mind was, I gotta get to work. I gotta get better. I’m gonna approach that every single day, just keep working to get better."
Zach Wilson on all the criticism: "It was deserved. The way I handled the situation wasn't right. I got to be a better football player and a better leader."
Wilson said he spoke to guys in the locker room about it all: "It was a situation I knew I had to bring up to them."
Wilson has been carried to a 5-2 record this season with the Jets while having a bad passer rating of 75.5. He has thrown four touchdowns and five interceptions while averaging less than 200 passing yards a game.
New York Jets quarterback Mike White will replace Zach Wilson and make his fourth career start on Sunday
Mike White received the news that he will be starting Sunday. It will mark his fourth career NFL start.
White was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He joined the Jets in 2019 and has been a backup ever since before seeing action for the first time last season.
After Zach Wilson went down with an injury vs. the New England Patriots, White stepped in and finished the game with 202 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the 54–13 loss.
The following week, White blossomed and had a career day. He led the Jets to a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, throwing 37 of 45 passes for 405 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Jets won 34–31.
If White can perform as he did in the Bengals game last season against the Bears this Sunday, he could potentially take over as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.