Clown Show

By Mike Rifkin

On Wednesday, Jets Head Coach Robert Salah confirmed that the team is returning to Zach Wilson for their game against the Houston Texans. Wilson was benched during the team’s week 11 loss to the Bills in favor of Tim Boyle. Boyle then played the next game and a half before being benched for Trevor Simian; now, the Jets pivot back to Wilson.

There was a report in the Athletic this week that Wilson didn’t want to play, and quite frankly, I don’t blame him. Why should Wilson, who isn’t in the Jet’s plans for next season, want to be thrown to the wolves? There is a big difference between bringing in competition for a young quarterback who has struggled and going out of your way to acquire a future Hall Of Famer. But the minute Aaron Rodgers arrived, Zach Wilson couldn’t be on this team. Has Zach played well since being the second overall pick? No, but let’s not make it like he has this phenomenal team around him. Yes, the defense is elite, but offensively, they have two players in Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. But when those two guys are celebrating getting Aaron Rodgers, Wilson can’t be a part of the team. 

During his press conference Wednesday, Salah said he was looking for a spark when he went to Tim Boyle and Trevor Simian; the problem is that if they were a spark, they’d be starters somewhere else. Tim Boyle was cut on Tuesday and came from Green Bay with Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. But nothing has changed, and I don’t expect Zach Wilson to light it up on Sunday, but the organization is throwing him to a fan base that has already turned on him. There’s one clear thing: the 2024 New York Jets starting Quarterback will be Aaron Rodgers; for Zach’s sake and his career, he cannot be the backup in New York and needs a change of scenery. But this whole week has been a synopsis of the Jets season, a massive failure to launch, and it’s why they’ll miss the playoffs again. What a clown show.