Jets Announce New Starting Quarterback

The New York Jets sent shockwaves through the NFL landscape when they announced that quarterback Zach Wilson would not start for the team in Week 12. It turns out the Jets had another surprise in store. Head coach Robert Saleh announced at a Wednesday press conference that second-year passer Mike White would be QB1 for Sunday's matchup with the Chicago Bears. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco will serve as the backup, indicating Wilson won't see the field anytime soon for the Jets. White has totalled 953 passing yards and a 75.1 passer rating in four appearances with the Jets.

White's emergence at the top of the depth chart is surprising given Flacco's experience and functional play in relief of Wilson earlier this year. Flacco totalled 903 passing yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in three starts this season when Wilson missed time with a knee injury. But Flacco only led the Jets to a 1-2 record over that span, and at 6-4 with a chance at the playoffs still in play, the team is apparently willing to gamble on the younger player.

White joined the Jets as a free agent in 2019 following an uneventful rookie year with the Dallas Cowboys. The 171st overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, he saw his first regular-season action in 2021 following a Wilson injury. He threw for a baffling 405 yards in the first start of his career, leading the Jets to a shocking 34-31 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jets will hope he has a few more games like that in him.
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