Zach Wilson to start for New York Jets just weeks after being scrapped

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Zach Wilson has been given a huge opportunity to revive his career with the New York Jets and potentially put himself in the shop window for NFL teams after Mike White picked up an injury and has not been cleared to play by doctors. Wilson was benched in November after a number of poor performances, compounded by his decision not to take accountability after a disppointing showing against the New England Patriots. In that game, the Jets defence held the Patriots to just three points, but could not come away with the win as Wilson threw for just 77 yards and put up just three points himself, as he told reporters that he did not let the defence down, nor did he owe them an apology.

Jets players were reportedly infuriated by these quotes, along with his poor play, as head coach Robert Saleh quickly moving to bench him for back-up Mike White, admitting that some of his players may have been ‘irritated’ by the situation.

Since coming in as the starter, White has performed well, despite losing their last two games to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills, it looked like White would be given the rest of the season as the main man, as he has got the best out of Jets star receivers Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis.

But in their last outing against the Bills, White suffered a rib injury after a huge hit from Matt Milano, which saw him fold up and was immediately taken for evaluations. After returning to the game, White would be sent to hospital for further evaluations immediately after the whistle, with teammates praising his character.

After evaluations, White had hoped to been able to play this weekend when they face the Detroit Lions, but doctors have not cleared him – meaning Wilson will be back in as the starter, it has been confirmed.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted: “Jets doctors will not clear QB Mike White for contact before Sunday’s game vs. Detroit and thus Zach Wilson will start against the Lions. White wanted to play and has practiced but Jets doctors are not signing off. Thus, Wilson is back as the Jets’ starting QB.”

It’s an opportunity that Wilson would have unlikely to have been given bar injury, but one that is huge for his career with the Jets, and potentially elsewhere. They will need Wilson to play well in a game that they’d hope to win, in need of doing so if they are to make the play-offs.

The Lions are much improved as of late, winning four of their last five games, but still have one of the worst defences in the NFL – giving Wilson the platform to go out and prove why he is a starting-calibre quarterback.

Even if the Jets do not see Wilson as their long-term starter, other teams may still be intrigues with his talents, that which made him the second overall draft pick in the 2021 class, as he starred in his final year at BYU. A number of teams are set to be looking for a new quarterback this off-season.

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