The New York Jets are going to start quarterback Zach Wilson again but is it the right choice?

There’s been a lot said about the talented quarterback this season and while it’s clear that he’s talented it would be dishonest to deny that he has struggled. With that said the New York Jets have once again decided to give him a chance under center. Can he deliver?

Zach Wilson to start against the Houston Texans

Though it was just two days ago that New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh stated he wasn’t ready to go with quarterback Zach Wilson once again, it would appear he has had a change of heart. Speaking on Wednesday, Saleh disclosed that he would in fact be reinstating Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback for Sunday’s Week 14 game against the Houston Texans.

“Zach gives us our best chance to win,” Saleh said. “Giving him another opportunity to go prove that. He was good. He’s fired up. Like I said on Monday, he came into my office, he wants the ball. He’s excited about getting this opportunity.” It goes without saying that Saleh’s decision is going to raise some eyebrows given Wilson’s level of performance since joining the Jets. For starters, the 24-year-old has won only 11 of the 31 games in which he has started. Then, there is his completion rate which stands at 56.6%, and last but certainly not least are his interceptions which number 25 in total, which is four more than his tally of 21 touchdowns.

With that said, Wilson has shown glimpses of productivity this season with a career-high completion percentage, and a significantly reduced amount of interceptions (7). Yet, we’ve got to mention a recent report that alluded to the idea that Wilson was reluctant to take on a starting role once more. Wilson himself has since pushed back on the report calling it “frustrating” before explaining that he didn’t believe he ever indicated to anyone in the Jets locker room that he did not want to play. Backing his signal caller, Saleh also addressed the report earlier this week. but so too has Saleh himself. “Let’s be clear, if he was reluctant to play, guys, he wouldn’t be here,” Saleh said. Even Aaron Rodgers, the man Wilson was initially charged with replacing before being demoted, came to his defense, describing the report as “chickensh**.”

Is Zach Wilson the right choice for the Jets?

On the season so far, Wilson is 3-6 in the nine games that he’s started. Two games ago Saleh took the decision - not for the first time in Wilson’s career - to bench him in favor of Tim Boyle. Unfortunately, Boyle was unable to provide the impetus needed and so, here we are, back to Zach. Where the Jets themselves are concerned, the team is currently sitting on a 4-8 record in the AFC East which is to say, if they don’t win against the Texans on Sunday, their hopes of making a trip to the postseason will likely be over.

Now, while Wilson is clearly not Rodgers, this is the same player that helped the Jets to post a 4-3 record after a 13-10 win against the Giants back in October. Granted, what followed was a string of losses and his eventual benching, but the point here is that the kid can play. On the other hand, reason would suggest that though it may be a stretch to say that Wilson’s future with the franchise depends on Sunday’s game, his time appears to be running out. In the Texans, the former BYU star will be facing a team that ranks second in the league in touchdown passes allowed i.e., he’s going to have to come goo if the Jets are going to get the result they want. Yet, according to Saleh, Wilson is the guy who gives the team the best chance at doing just that.