After he was unable to play in their last two games, the Jets will start quarterback Mike White on Sunday afternoon on the road against the 7-8 Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 with just one regular season game remaining. They are still in the race for a playoff spot to end their 11-year drought but their chances are slim.
The 7-8 Jets must beat the Seahawks and then the Dolphins in Miami on Jan. 8, their final regular season game. That still wouldn’t guarantee them one of the three wild card invitations. The Jets are the No. 9 seed in the AFC entering this weekend’s game, with the top seven from the conference making it to the postseason.
White, who suffered fractured ribs versus the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 11, was cleared to return this week and will once again take over for Zach Wilson. The 2021 No. 2 NFL draft pick, who has frustrated his teammates and the Jets fan base with poor play and lack of accountability, won’t even be in uniform. Wilson will be inactive with veteran Joe Flacco the primary backup.
It is another setback for the 23-year-old from BYU, who has been benched twice this season and replaced once during a game. There has been constant speculation about what’s next for Wilson. He is no longer viewed as the Jets’ long-term QB after being selected as the potential face of the franchise.
“I still think he has a future here. I still think he’s going to be a really good quarterback,” said Jets head coach Robert Saleh. ”We still have him in our future, and in our plans.”
As for White, who’ll be a free agent next season, Saleh noted he has been solid as an alternative to Wilson.
“I thought he did a great job moving the offense, sustaining drives, getting first downs,” Saleh said earlier this week. “The offense was running with some good efficiency. So, it’s a great opportunity for him, and it’s a great opportunity for everybody.”
In Seattle, the Jets will face an eager Geno Smith, their former quarterback from 2013 to 2016 who has been the Seahawks’ starter this year after they traded Russell Wilson to Denver. Wilson led the franchise to two Super Bowls, winning 43-8 at MetLife Stadium versus the Broncos to conclude the 2013 season.
Smith’s tenure with the Jets is a good example for Zach Wilson to study. The 32-year-old Smith was drafted by New York in 2013 in the second round and struggled during most of his time with the Jets, even getting into a fight with a teammate. Smith played in 33 games and started 30 in over four seasons. He was then released after the 2016 season, playing for the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers before finding a home with Seattle.
Seattle’s head coach also has history with the Jets. He was the team’s defensive coordinator from 1990-93 and earned his first head coaching job when he was promoted by the franchise in 1994. But Carroll was fired after one season going 6-10. Carroll and Smith aren’t looking for redemption. That has passed a long time ago. They are focusing on fighting for the playoffs as the current No. 8 seed in the NFC.
“They sent me packing,” said Carroll about the Jets. “Geno and I, we might ride this one out together.”
