New York Jets Bench Zach Wilson But Not Before He Took Out His Coach

It's amazing it hasn't happened before but it has happened now: The New York Jets have benched quarterback Zach Wilson.

The move came near the end of the third quarter of Sunday's game between the Jets and the Buffalo Bills in which Wilson was predictably ineffective -- as he's been much of this season.

The Jets trailed 29-6 when Jets coach Robert Saleh sent Tim Boyle onto the field instead of Wilson.

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 19: Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets drops back to pass in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Zach Wilson Ineffective Again For Jets

Wilson had completed only 7 of 15 passes for 81 yards with one TD and one interception before he was told to take a seat on the bench.

And one wonders why this hasn't happened earlier.

The fact is the Jets scored one TD this game and it was their first TD in their last 13 quarters.

It was their first touchdown in their last 43 possessions.

And the score came on the first multi-play touchdown drive since Oct. 1.

So, yeah, the Jets have been struggling on offense for a while and this move makes sense. Interestingly, Saleh didn't bench Wilson until after the quarterback trucked him along the sideline on a scramble.

Zach Wilson Knocks Down Robert Saleh On Scramble

True enough, Wilson was looking to escape pass pressure and rather than simply flipping the ball away before going out of bounds, he plowed into his head coach.

No, that moment was not the reason Saleh benched his quarterback. At least we don't think so.

But it showed how little awareness Wilson has with many things he does on a football field.

It should be said not all New York's problems are Wilson's doing. The offensive line, makeshift because of injuries, has been very inconsistent. Even No. 1 receiver Garrett Wilson has had questionable moments, dropping passes right in his hands.

But, ultimately, it's Wilson who just was frustratingly inept. He entered Sunday's game against Buffalo with five TD passes and six interceptions and had completed only 59.8% of his passes.

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 19: Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets calls out instructions in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Do The Jets Keep Zach Wilson On The Bench?

So what happens now?

Saleh told reporters he's undecided who will start when the Jets host the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on Friday. It'll be interesting to see if the coach was sufficiently impressed to let Boyle continue to play or if Wilson gets a chance to return to the lineup.

This is the third time in two years Wilson has been benched.

He was actually benched twice last year and then the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. Rodgers ruptured his Achilles the fourth play of the season and Wilson has taken over since.

Rodgers has signaled he expects to return to the team this week full time and could begin practicing sometime in early December. He wants to be able to play before the end of December.

It is that Rodgers return, by the way, that no one has said the Jets should change offensive coordinators. Nathaniel Hackett, the architect of New York's poor offense, has done nothing to remain in the job.

Except Hackett is basically the favorite of Rodgers, who last week noted he won two MVP awards playing for the Green Bay Packers while Hackett was the offensive coordinator.

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