When the season kicked off, fans of the New York Jets were all-in. With four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers leading the way, on paper, the Jets looked like a team capable of going on a deep postseason run. Four snaps into the season, Zach Wilson was called upon to save Gang Green’s season after Rodgers suffered his Achilles injury.
Other teams made contingency plans when their starter went down, but the Jets felt they had no choice but to stand by the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Growing pains were expected for the 24-year-old, and we’ve seen our fair share of struggles in Wilson’s nine starts this season. So much so that coach Robert Saleh finally decided to pull the plug once the Jets fell behind by 23 points against Buffalo in a must-win scenario.
Sixth-year NFL veteran Tim Boyle was announced as the starting QB against the Miami Dolphins, with the hope that he could ignite the NFL’s 30th-ranked scoring offense.
Yet, the one-game sample didn’t go according to plan.
Despite being a veteran, albeit an inexperienced one, Boyle somehow managed to make Wilson look more like the solution than the problem. In leading the Jets to just 13 points, he averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt, a touchdown, and two interceptions, including a Hail Mary gone bad, leading to a pick-six before halftime. He also took five sacks, which has been a continued theme, no matter who starts behind the Jets’ offensive line this season.
While Wilson clearly didn’t lead a high-powered scoring offense, and it may have been time for the Jets to see if another QB could be any better, Boyle clearly isn’t part of the solution either. Chances are, Trevor Siemian, who surpassed Wilson on the depth chart this week too, likely can’t help this version of the Jets either.
Could Rodgers? With the Jets moving to 4-7, it’s getting to the point where it may not make sense for the 39-year-old’s return this season. Even though no one wants to hear it, there’s always next year.
Related: See where Josh Allen and Tim Boyle land in Sportsnaut’s NFL QB rankings