The New York Jets have officially benched quarterback Zach Wilson for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears. But amid persistent questions about his leadership within the Jets locker room, he apparently had a message for his teammates.
According to ESPN Jets insider Rich Cimini, Jets cornerback D.J. Reed said that Wilson addressed the team with a speech on Wednesday. Reed said it was a “heartfelt” message and that Zach acknowledged that the change had to happen.
Wilson also appeared determined to win his starting job back. He is set to be inactive on Sunday with Mike White starting and Joe Flacco serving as backup.
Wilson had one of the most abysmal performances of any quarterback in recent memory this past Sunday against the New England Patriots. But he followed that up with an even more embarrassing press conference where he refused to take responsibility for his role in the team’s struggles.
With the Jets at 6-4 on the season, they have a real chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. Simply put, the quarterback play from Zach Wilson hasn’t been good enough and the team was no longer willing to let him learn on the job.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh has made it clear that opportunities for Wilson to reclaim the job will be there. But this will be a turning point in the team’s relationship with him – one way or another.
Will Zach Wilson regain the confidence of the Jets locker room?