Robert Saleh offers strange justification for not changing QB
Jul 27, 2021; Florham Park, NJ, United States; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh talks with the media on training camp report day at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Unsurprisingly, the New York Jets are sticking with Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback for Week 11, but coach Robert Saleh’s justification for doing so has grown quite strange.
Saleh announced the decision on Monday, and added an interesting assertion: in his mind, Wilson is “actually playing pretty well.”
Jets’ HC Robert Saleh told reporters today that he’s sticking with Zach Wilson as his starting QB. “He’s actually playing pretty well,” Saleh said.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2023
It is a strange thing for Saleh to say considering Wilson’s performances. The quarterback has thrown one touchdown pass in the last five games and received brutal reviews from some analysts for his recent play. He threw a back-breaking interception late in Sunday night’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, which came on the heels of a Week 9 game against the Chargers in which he fumbled three times.
Saleh seems to know that Wilson is really struggling to get the job done, and there is some truth to the coach’s repeated assertions that the offense’s issues go beyond one player. Still, the team has turned down chances to bring in other quarterback options, so Saleh has left himself with little choice but to grasp at straws like this.
