Jets HC Robert Saleh announced on Wednesday that QB Mike White will start Sunday against the Bears.
"We are going to roll with Mike White," Saleh said. "He has won games with us. He does a great job in practice. He's done a great job in games for us. He's extremely competent as a quarterback, and he's got the ability to make all the throws on the football field and run the offense in the manner that we need to. And as I said it three weeks ago or whatever it was that he's going to be next to get an opportunity, and that opportunity is now."
White, the third-year signal caller, started three games for the Jets last season and made four appearances, completing 66.7% of his passes with 5 TDs and 8 INTs. He threw for 953 yards in action against the Patriots, the Bengals, the Colts and the Bills.
In his first career start, a 34-31 victory against the AFC champion Bengals, White completed 37-of-45 attempts for 405 yards with 3 TDs and 2 INTs. Originally a Cowboys fifth-round pick in 2018 out of Western Kentucky, White earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 400 yards in his first NFL start (Cam Newton, 2011).
White has been active for five games this season including the last two. Saleh told reporters following the Jets' Week 8 loss to the Patriots that White had been elevated to backup – ahead of veteran Joe Flacco.
"It is the same things we talked about when we elevated him to the second spot, that feels like 3 or 4 weeks ago," Saleh said. "We know he fully capable. He has started in this league. He has won games for us. And we just want to give him an opportunity."
Last Sunday, the Jets offense produced only 3 points and 103 yards in a 10-3 loss at New England. In his seventh start of the season, Zach Wilson completed 9-of-22 for 77 yards.
Flacco will backup White Sunday while Wilson will practice and be inactive.
"Zach's career her is not over," Saleh said. "…The biggest thing with Zach, is the young man needs a reset. His decision making has been fine. His practice habits have been fine. But there are some basic fundamental things that have gotten really out wack. This is opportunity for him to sit back, focus on those things and find a way to reconnect to all the things that we fell in love with during the draft process."
