Jets' Mike White praises Zach Wilson for handling of benching

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has received praise from his replacement for his handling of what's become a much-publicized benching. 

"I look at Zach as my friend before my teammate, and he’s been awesome," fellow Jets signal-caller Mike White told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio after White guided Gang Green to an impressive 31-10 home win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. "I can’t speak highly enough of him and his attitude and how he’s approached this. He’s been 100 percent supportive through and through, there for whatever needs. He’s always there and he’s like, 'Hey, when I was running this and this kind of happened in the game,' and just little things like that, and he’s been awesome. He’s attacked it with a great mindset, and that’s just the type of guy he is and the type of teammate he is."

Jets head coach Robert Saleh relegated Wilson to scout team duties last week shortly after the 23-year-old performed poorly in the 10-3 loss at the New England Patriots on Nov. 20 and then initially refused to say he "let the defense down" that afternoon. White seemingly cemented himself atop the New York depth chart until further notice when he completed 22-of-28 passes for 315 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions against Chicago. 

Wilson eventually expressed remorse for his actions during what may be remembered as a career-altering post-game press conference. 

The 7-4 Jets next play at the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday. Wilson's status for that matchup is unknown after he was made inactive for the Chicago matchup while veteran Joe Flacco served as White's primary backup. 

"I definitely don’t want to make it sound like he isn’t a competitor because he is trying to get back on the field just like any of us," White added about Wilson. "Everyone in this locker room is fighting like hell to get on the field because that’s why we do this. We play this game to go out on Sundays and be able to perform. He’s doing a great job of balancing both." 

Interestingly, White suggested he may not learn whether or not he's starting against Minnesota until Tuesday. Logic suggests Saleh will want to go with the hot hand considering the Jets would be a playoff team if the season ended today.