Jets Officially Starting Zach Wilson In Week 16, Rule Out Mike White

Jets HC Robert Saleh announced QB Zach Wilson will get a second start for Week 16’s Thursday night matchup against the Jaguars, per Brian Costello. 

He added starting QB Mike White has still not been cleared for contact by doctors due to his rib injury. 

This doesn’t come as a big surprise, as things were leaning this way on Sunday and Wilson played adequately against the Lions despite the loss. 

New York’s next game after that is on New Year’s Day against the Seahawks. 

Wilson, 23, was a three-year starter at BYU and a first-team All-Independent League selection as a junior. The Jets drafted Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft. 

Wilson signed a four-year, $35,150,680 contract with the Jets that includes a $22,924,131 signing bonus. The Jets will have a fifth-year option to pick up on Wilson in 2024.

In 2022, Wilson has appeared in eight games for the Jets and completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,596 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. He also has 101 yards rushing and a touchdown. 

White, 27, is a former fifth-round pick of the Cowboys back in 2018. He signed a four-year, $2.7 million contract with Dallas, but was waived coming out of the preseason in 2019. 

White signed on to the Jets’ practice squad soon after and has been on and off of their roster ever since. He re-signed with the Jets as a restricted free agent this past offseason on the original-round tender worth $2.54 million.

He’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2023. 

In 2022, White has appeared in three games for the Jets and completed 80-129 pass attempts (62 percent) for 952 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s added nine yards rushing on six attempts and another touchdown. 

We’ll have more on the Jets quarterback situation as the news is available.