Mike White has faced a barrage of text messages since making his NFL debut in Week 7, a trend that continued during his headline-grabbing first career start in Week 8.
Leading the bombardment on Sunday was Zach Wilson, the man White filled in for. With Wilson sidelined by a sprained PCL, the rookie spent his afternoon blitzing his backup’s phone.
“He was texting me during the game,” White said. “Like every play, he was texting my phone knowing, obviously, I wasn’t answering. He’s like, ‘Oh my god, that was awesome.’ Then I had a big, long congratulations text for me and how happy he was.”
Wilson’s girlfriend joined in on the feel-good texts, sharing a similar message with White’s wife.
The texts coincided with a 405-yard, three-touchdown performance from White, who led the Jets to their second win of the season (he even caught a two-point conversion reception in the process). The historic showing played an instrumental part in Gang Green’s 34-31 upset over the Bengals.
.@MikeWhiteQB doing it all. JETS WIN. https://t.co/ZbDJgblMT2
— Zachary Wilson (@ZachWilson) October 31, 2021
White was so good Sunday that Robert Saleh said, “We’ll go day-to-day, but anything is possible,” when asked about White remaining in the starter’s role once Wilson returns. Wilson will miss this Thursday’s game against the Colts — White has already been named the starter — but he could be healthy in time for New York’s Week 10 matchup against the Bills.
If White plays well again vs. Indianapolis, the Jets could have a little quarterback controversy on their hands, as Wilson’s career has gotten off to a bumpy start. But if Sunday was any indication, the 22-year-old won’t pout if White continues to shine.
“Zach was awesome. He was the first person in the hall, when I got off the field, to congratulate me. He gave me this huge hug. I was real nervous that I hit his knee and banged him up,” White said with a laugh. “He honestly might have been more juiced up than me.
“That’s who Zach is, though. It’s super genuine. The kid just loves football and loves being around the team and it shows every day, whether he’s on the field or off.”
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