WARNING:<\/strong> This is not going to be a popular take, not what you want for Christmas under your tree or in your stocking.<\/p>\nThe Jets should start Zach Wilson at quarterback for the final two games of the season \u2014 even if Mike White is medically cleared to play with his cracked ribs.<\/p>\n
The moribund 19-3 home loss to the Jaguars on Thursday night essentially eliminated the Jets from the playoffs. Even if they aren’t mathematically eliminated this weekend, their playoff chances are \u201cfarfetched,\u201d head coach Robert Saleh conceded Friday.<\/p>\n
That being the case, what else do the Jets have to play for other than using the final two games to help formulate a future decision on Wilson?<\/p>\n
Finding out more about Wilson and whether the 2021 No. 2 overall draft pick truly is a franchise quarterback was, after all, one of the missions of this season for the Jets. His rookie season was uneven, to be polite, and the Jets needed to find out how much he’d progress in his second season.<\/p>\n
Though no one on the Jets wants to admit it, the reality is that Wilson hasn’t shown tangible signs of progression from Year 1 to Year 2, and never has that been more evident than watching Thursday how far Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence has come in that same time period.<\/p>\nJets’ Zach Wilson should get more reps before the Jets’ season comes to a close.<\/figcaption>Fred Kfoury III\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSaleh is in an impossible situation, because he wants \u2014 needs \u2014 to win games. He has watched a 7-4 start evaporate to 7-8 thanks to the 0-4 free fall. And to make the argument that Wilson gives the Jets a better chance to win than White does is folly.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/aside>\nThat leaves Saleh in the difficult and delicate spot of deciding whether it’s more important to win games the next two weeks or try to find out more about Wilson \u2026 unless Saleh and the Jets believe they know enough and have seen enough.<\/p>\n
And that’s highly possible.<\/p>\n
Saleh, whether it was unwitting or calculated, dropped bread crumbs Friday hinting that Wilson \u2014 whose confidence, even by his own admission, is damaged \u2014 may be shut down for the season.<\/p>\n
The head coach went from vowing after the game on Thursday night, \u201cWe haven’t seen the last of him,” to saying Friday that \u201cthere are also cons\u201d to playing someone like Wilson when his confidence is shot.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got to think about the player and where he’s at and whether or not you’re doing more damage or you’re helping him,\u201d Saleh said. \u201cYou just want to make sure that you’re making the best decisions for the team and not just say, ‘Hey, let’s just get this guy reps, just to get this guy reps.’ \u201d<\/p>\n