After weeks of underwhelming play by their offense, the New York Jets have opted to make a change at the quarterback position. Zach Wilson has been benched, as he will be replaced by Tim Boyle as the starter in Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins in their Black Friday game that afternoon.
This is a move that has been a long time coming. The Jets have been inept on the offensive side of the ball, as Breece Hall’s touchdown in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills was their first since Week 8 against the New York Giants. Hall also scored that touchdown, taking a screen pass 50 yards to the house.
While not all of the Jets’ issues offensively are Wilson’s fault, he certainly hasn’t contributed enough in a positive manner. His lack of production has been alarming throughout his tenure in New York.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has proven time and time again that he isn’t NFL starting quarterback-caliber, as he helped torpedo a second consecutive promising season. While it may be too little too late for the 2023 season, head coach Robert Saleh is making a move to save some face.
Reportedly, Wilson’s time with the Jets is done after this move. They will look to move on in the offseason, but they are doing everything in their power to ensure he doesn’t see the field again in 2023.
Not only did Wilson get benched in favor of Boyle, he is being relegated to the third-string quarterback spot on the depth chart. Trevor Siemian will be taking over as the backup to Boyle, as the team seeks some sort of spark on that side of the ball.
At 4-6, the Jets’ season has gone off the rails after a spirited effort ahead of their bye to get back to the .500 mark. Their victory over the Giants got them over it at 4-3, but the wheels have fallen off since with the offense tanking once again.
Based on his previous opportunities, Boyle doesn’t give the impression that he will fare much better than Wilson did. But a move had to be made, and Saleh felt that now was the time to do so.
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