Jets HC Robert Saleh announces Zach Wilson will start vs Texans

Zach Wilson is back at starting quarterback for the Jets. Coach Robert Saleh announced the move Wednesday after several days of anxiety in the Meadowlands.

“Zach gives us our best chance to win,” Saleh told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

The Jets benched Wilson in favor of Tim Boyle for the past two games. However, word leaked that Wilson, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, would be the starter again. Then a story started circulating that Wilson didn’t want the job back because of potential injury playing for a 4-8 team with a suspect offensive line. Even Aaron Rodgers, who hasn’t played a down since the fourth snap of the season opener, became involved in the now very public conversation.

Meanwhile, the Jets waived Boyle, a one-time backup to Rodgers in Green Bay. As they released Boyle, the team signed Brett Rypien, who played for offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett last year when Hackett coached the Broncos.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh says QB Zach Wilson is starting Sunday vs Texans. pic.twitter.com/EYo2U4kYOB

— NFL (@NFL) December 6, 2023

Saleh says he wants Wilson to start rest of season for Jets

Saleh said Wednesday he wants Wilson to be the starter for the remainder of the season. But he added that he changed to Boyle last month in an effort to try anything to turn around the team’s offensive misfortunes.

And if there’s not enough zaniness in the quarterback room, there’s still the whole plotline of whether Rodgers would be able to play. He was back at practice last week as the Jets opened a 21-day window to decide whether to keep him on injured reserve. The first game he could play would be on Christmas Eve. But that talk since then had cooled.

Rodgers has grown close to Wilson, the quarterback he briefly replaced before tearing his Achilles. And the veteran quarterback didn’t like that anyone from the Jets would leak information about another player. He made his thoughts known while doing his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. He said that a report in The Athletic made Wilson appear selfish.

“How can you not read it any other way? You’re saying that this kid is basically quitting on his team and doesn’t want to play, giving the middle finger to the organization,” Rodgers said. “Listen, I don’t want to speak for him because he’s going to get a chance to speak this week. I’ll tell you that I love the kid. I’ve spent a lot of time with him. I think he’s an amazing young man.

“And he is young… he’s gone through a lot of shit over the last three years. I think he has every right to be frustrated and disappointed about it. I think he’s done a good job of stepping up and taking accountability this year when it’s been his part to do it.”

Wilson has played in 10 games for the Jets this season with nine starts. He’s thrown for 1,944 yards with six touchdown passes against seven interceptions.