Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr are getting all the headlines regarding the Jets’ quarterback situation this offseason, but if you ask head coach Robert Saleh, don’t forget about Mike White.
Saleh was asked during his Zoom press conference Thursday about the quarterback situation and ESPN’s Rich Cimini brought up White and where the Jets stand with the soon-to-be free agent.
“I feel like I probably should be talking about him more,” Saleh said. “Mike deserves every bit to be talked about, he should be on this roster also. You know we carried three last year, but again, he’s going through his process and it’s just something that obviously we’re keeping close tabs on.”
The top two quarterbacks, in all likelihood, are going to be Derek Carr/Aaron Rodgers/(insert another veteran here) and then Zach Wilson. As Saleh mentioned, the Jets did carry three quarterbacks throughout the 2022 season, making the No. 3 quarterback — whether than was White, Joe Flacco or even Wilson — a weekly inactive. There’s been a bit of a debate lately as to whether teams should keep only two quarterbacks on the active roster as opposed to three. Saleh seems very fine carrying three.
“If you can hold it, for sure, like quarterbacks are gold. If you have three guys that you have full faith in, then yeah absolutely, you hold them, but you don’t want to hold three quarterbacks just to hold three quarterbacks, but I said it last year, I thought we had three really good quarterbacks between (Joe) Flacco, Zach, and Mike and if we’re presented with that same opportunity again, obviously you’d love to keep it that way.”
There has been mutual interest between the Jets and White for a new contract this offseason, but that likely will come down the line. The Jets obviously have more pressing matters at the moment.