New York Jets Quarterback White to Miss Week 15, Wilson to Start

The New York Jets' Week 15 matchup with the Detroit Lions has taken a shocking turn. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Jets team doctors have refused to clear quarterback Mike White to start on Sunday due to his rib injury. Zach Wilson will start in his stead.

Sources: Jets doctors will not clear QB Mike White for contact before Sunday’s game vs. Detroit and thus Zach Wilson will start against the Lions. White wanted to play and has practiced but Jets doctors are not signing off. Thus, Wilson is back as the Jets’ starting QB. pic.twitter.com/mq3zEKwyw7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2022

White took several hard shots in the Jets' Week 14 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills and even briefly left the game. The Jets had proceeded all week under the assumption White would be good to go, declaring him the starter early in the week and upgrading Wilson to backup over veteran Joe Flacco.

With White sidelined, Wilson will have his last and maybe his best chance to establish himself as the Jets' quarterback of the future. The former first-round draft pick has struggled in his 20 career starts and earned a spot on the bench earlier this year for a particularly putrid performance against the New England Patriots in Week 11; he netted 44 passing yards in a 10-3 loss. If Wilson struggles again against a Lions defense that has allowed the second most points in the league this year, we may not see him again this season, and he likely won't be guaranteed a starting job next year, either.

Wilson entered the league as the Jets' second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. After three years, 7652 passing yards, and 56 passing touchdowns at BYU, Wilson earned rave reviews from scouts due to his rare arm talent and nimbleness in the pocket. His play hasn't translated to the pros: he has netted a mere 3119 passing yards while throwing 16 interceptions and absorbing 60 sacks.