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Not sure that is exactly what he said . . .
I was reading on Twitter that Robert Saleh said that Zach Wilson will be the starter the rest of the season, barring injury.
I didn’t participate in the presser because I’m not done with Zoom press conferences. There is no reason for them anymore, aside from some not wanting to go to Florham Park. The same thing will happen tomorrow with Joe Douglas. We talk to the Jets GM once during the season, at the mid-way point, and we can’t do it in person? That makes no sense to me. But let me make this clear, the Jets deserve no blame on this one. This is on the media.
But getting back to this big story, Saleh supposedly saying today that Wilson will be the starting QB the rest of the season, barring injury.
I read this all over the place and I couldn’t believe it. Why would a coach commit to a player no matter how he plays? That makes no sense, especially since the Jets are in playoff contention.
I went over the transcript with a fine tooth comb, and I didn’t see where Saleh truly committed to Wilson for the rest of the season. I could be wrong, but those words never came out of his mouth. Instead, it was based on how he answered a question to a trap question.
I think the following question and answer is what led people to say he committed to Wilson for the rest of the season.
Q: Is this something where moving forward, for the rest of this season, whether Zach is playing really, really well, or whether Zach is playing really, really poorly, Zach is going to be the quarterback from the first snap until the last snap, unless he were to get hurt?
Saleh: Correct. Is that what you’re asking? Yeah, Zach is our quarterback.
That trap question put Saleh in a really tough spot. If he hedges and says, “We are just focused on this week and Buffalo,” some reporters go hog wild and say that the coach isn’t committed to Wilson long-term.
Look, I could be wrong, but I just think he was being careful answering the trap question, and not saying anything the reporters could run with, and writing he’s not committed to the QB.
I can’t believe Saleh and Joe Douglas are willing to write off the rest of the season to develop a QB, no matter what he does. Can’t believe they would display that level of cognitive dissonance. And if what we saw against New England continues, he’s going to get booed out of the stadium, and people will stop showing up. The media and fans will turn on him to a degree that it could become untenable.
Look, I could be wrong, but that answer to me doesn’t mean they are committed to Wilson, no matter, what the rest of the year. It might have just been a coach trying to navigate a trap question without causing a stir.
I want to get into another thing Saleh said today about Wilson:
“I’ve got full confidence in Zach, we all do,” Saleh said.
He might have full confidence in Zach, but not sure about the end of the sentence – “we all do.”
Not sure about “all.”
Perhaps Saleh and the front office do, but not sure about “all.”
Do you think Elijah Moore has full confidence in Wilson?
On Sunday, Moore was asked about his chemistry with Wilson.
“I don’t even know, I couldn’t tell you, I don’t get the ball. I don’t know,” Moore said.
When it comes to players, they know who should be playing. They tend to farm their own land, and not say anything publicly questioning other players.
But remember, after the Jets’ upset of Cincinnati in 2021, a game Mike White shine, the way you heard players talk about White, was quite effusive.
“I see it every day from him, so I’m not surprised by what he just did,” said RB Michael Carter. “You all are, but I’m not at all.”
“It’s Mike f’ing White – he’s a savage, he’s a dog, he’s an animal,” said RB Ty Johnson. “I said it on Monday, and I’ll say it again. I’m going to keep saying it, he’s a dog, he’s an animal. Let’s keep it like that.”
I’m not saying Carter and Johnson are asking for a QB change. These quotes were from last season. I’m just trying to point out that if you think the whole locker room has full confidence in Zach Wilson – you might be delusional.
October 31, 2022
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