When the New York Jets officially benched Zach Wilson, some speculated that the move was done, in part, to motivate the former top-two selection to pick up his play. In the meantime, Mike White would try to hold the fort down as Wilson would watch from the sideline, wondering where he went wrong.
That potential plan might be shelved for a bit.
Sunday afternoon saw the Jets fall to the Minnesota Vikings on the road, 27-22. And while White had a couple of costly turnovers, he enjoyed a second straight game with over three hundred yards passing (on 57 pass attempts!) as he continued to have the Jets offense hum at times. In the end, White had New York in a position for an upset of the NFC’s current No. 2 seed with two late fourth-quarter red zone drives that unfortunately concluded in zero points.
But he made plays that got them there, and that definitely means something:
MIKE WHITE HAS ICE IN HIS VEINS
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/5tregI9xb6
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) December 4, 2022
With how White continues to help put the Jets in a position for wins, there’s a reality developing where we don’t see Wilson play for New York again in 2022. That’s because even if White isn’t the future — the Jets may dip into the veteran quarterback well in the spring — he’s clearly been a better facilitator for electric talents like 2022 first-round pick Garrett Wilson (eight catches, 162 yards).
I mean, look at how Wilson positively glows about White now:
Garrett Wilson on Mike White: “I’ll go to work for that boy. He’s got something special about him.” #Jets
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) December 4, 2022
Oh, man. Between White’s play and how his teammates directly discuss his play, these are not things you likely overlook if you’re in Robert Saleh’s shoes. At the moment, Wilson’s future in New York certainly seems very shaky.