The Jets’ quarterback situation somehow becomes a bigger mess by the day.
After both starter Tim Boyle and backup Trevor Siemian struggled in Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, the Jets want to turn back to benched former starter Zach Wilson but he is reluctant to play again, according to a report by The Athletic.
He would ultimately agree if asked directly by the team, however, a separate report said.
It is unknown which of the three quarterbacks will start Sunday against the Texans.
Aaron Rodgers also made it sound last week like he could be an outside possibility if his Achilles responds well to back-to-back practices.
Wilson’s hesitance might be understandable given that he has little to gain over the last five games knowing that he has no future with the Jets and lacks the play-caller, blocking or weapons to be successful, which further hurts his evaluation and chances of landing with another team in 2024.
On the other hand, it also could be seen as an act of spite after the Jets benched Wilson for the second time in as many years and then came crawling back to him when they realized their backups didn’t actually offer a better chance to win games than he does.
Refusing to play while getting paid would not sit well in an NFL locker room where other players are risking injury every game.
The Jets showed faith in Wilson by entering the season with him as the backup to Rodgers, but all plans were shredded when Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on the first drive of the season.
Head coach Robert Saleh stuck with Wilson through a 4-6 start in which he threw six touchdowns and seven interceptions but ultimately benched him for Boyle amid calls from the fan base to make a change.
The mess does not reflect well on Saleh’s management or the coaching staff’s player evaluations.
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