The Jets had kept their cards suspiciously close to the vest regarding the things going on inside Mike White’s chest.
And now the cards are on the table. White is out, and Zach Wilson is in as the starting quarterback for Sunday against the Lions.
Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Friday that doctors won’t clear White for contact, after last week’s hits that put him in a hospital for precautionary tests. Thus, Wilson will make his return to action, sooner than expected.
White said Thursday there’s “no doubt” he’ll play on Sunday, downplaying his condition as “general soreness.”
Wilson had been on timeout/double-secret probation. Earlier this week, the team bumped him from No. 3 back to No. 2, putting him in line to play if White couldn’t. Coach Robert Saleh called it a coincidence.
There are no coincidences. And there will be no Mike White on Sunday. Zach Wilson is back for a critical contest, as the Jets try to avoid plunging to 7-7 after racking up a record of 7-4.
Wilson has a record of 5-2 as a starter this season. He nevertheless landed not just in the bench but out of uniform for three straight games, as he engaged in what Saleh called a “reset” of his fundamentals.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for Zach,” Saleh said.
That it will be. And he’ll have plenty of work to do to win over a locker room and a fan base that has spent the past month or so lining up behind Mike Effin’ White.
