Robert Saleh on Jets' QB situation: Developing young offense is priority

The New York Jets suddenly have an interesting decision to make at quarterback, with Mike White staking his claim to the starting job that had belonged to Zach Wilson.

Jets coach Robert Saleh may have given a hint to his thinking on the subject Friday. Saleh was asked about balancing Wilson’s development with winning games, and the coach made it clear that developing the team’s young offense is a priority.

“We’re going to talk about all that stuff,” Saleh said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “The quarterback, obviously, is always at the forefront of our mind, but this is a very young offense that’s also trying to be developed. We’ll see through practice and through reps. I’m not saying that there’s a competition, because it’s still a hypothetical what you’re giving me, because there’s still two guys that aren’t close to being nearly, fully 100 percent. So, we’ll see how practice goes as we get closer to it.”

White left Thursday’s loss to Indianapolis in the first quarter with a right forearm injury. That deprived the team the chance to get a look at him in a tough road game after his outstanding debut against Cincinnati. That injury is not thought to be serious. Wilson, who has been sidelined with a sprained knee, is also expected to return to practice this week.

If the Jets are prioritizing development, they might just stick with Wilson. White hasn’t done anything to deserve a benching, though.