Zach Wilson aims to start as quarterback in this week’s game

The New York Jets are currently embroiled in a quarterback quandary. It seems they are struggling to find a suitable player to fill the position.

After Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian both delivered lackluster performances against the Falcons, and with Aaron Rodgers still recuperating from a torn Achilles tendon, the Jets are uncertain about who will be under center when they face the 7-5 Texans in their upcoming game.

During a press conference on Monday, coach Robert Saleh revealed that a decision on the starting quarterback for Sunday’s game had not been made. He also responded to a report from The Athletic suggesting that the team is leaning towards playing Zach Wilson, who reportedly has reservations about taking the field.

“Let’s be clear,” Saleh asserted. “If he was hesitant to play, he wouldn’t be here.”

Although Saleh did not outright deny the report, he acknowledged the potential for such rumors, drawing a comparison to college football players skipping bowl games to avoid injury. Saleh affirmed that Wilson expressed his desire to start in a conversation they had earlier in the day.

“The young man wants the ball,” Saleh affirmed. “He wants to start.”

Saleh assured reporters that the Week 14 starter would be announced by Wednesday and hinted at the possibility of Aaron Rodgers getting the nod, albeit with a note of skepticism.

With the Jets now at a 4-8 record, it appears that their season is hanging by a thread. The team is in “run-the-table-and-hope-for-help” mode, and another loss could spell the end for 2023. The big question now is whether the damage incurred in the remaining games will impact the team’s prospects for 2024. This urgency underlines the need for Rodgers to confirm his return soon, and for owner Woody Johnson to affirm coach Saleh and G.M. Joe Douglas’s continuity.

The longer the uncertainty lingers, the more difficult it will be to set the stage for a successful 2024 season during the remainder of 2023.