Jets coach Robert Saleh is not ready to kick Zach Wilson to the curb like most of the team’s fans are.
“We’ve got to help him,” Saleh said Friday. “We’re not going to quit on him.”
Wilson played terribly in Thursday night’s 19-3 loss to the Jaguars and was benched in the third quarter for fourth-string quarterback Chris Streveler. Wilson went 9-of-18 for 92 yards and an interception in the game.
While Saleh said the team would not quit on the QB, he also was not exactly endorsing Wilson as the future of the organization. He acknowledged that Wilson’s confidence is sagging, and that is what Saleh views as Wilson’s biggest issue right now.
“Confidence is a big deal. Confidence for coaches. Confidence for players. Confidence in your own individual self,” Saleh said. “I do know that he works his tail off. I’m with you. It’s a tough thing to try to overcome. But it doesn’t take much to flip confidence. He just needs to get on a little run, a couple of things happen, go his way. I felt like that was happening in the first half of the Detroit game where he had a really nice first half. There was a lot of confidence.”
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The Jets are hoping that Mike White will be cleared by the doctors to play against the Seahawks next week, but there is no guarantee that will happen. It sounded like Saleh will wait until Tuesday to make a decision on who would start in Seattle. Saleh would not commit to Wilson if White is not healthy.
“We’ve got time,” Saleh said. “I don’t have those answers for you yet.”
After four straight losses, the 7-8 Jets have seen their playoff hopes nearly vanish. They could be officially eliminated this weekend depending on the results of several games. Saleh acknowledged that the playoffs are now a long shot.
“There’s still a lot to look forward to with this season. Thinking playoffs is farfetched,” Saleh said. “But at the same time we’ve done a lot of really, really cool things this year. The most important thing right now is finishing strong, which starts with Seattle.”
