Jets QB Mike White Will Start Against Bears

Jets HC Robert Saleh announced on Wednesday that QB Mike White will start Sunday against the Bears.

“We are going to roll with Mike White,” Saleh said. “He has won games with us. He does a great job in practice. He’s done a great job in games for us. He’s extremely competent as a quarterback, and he’s got the ability to make all the throws on the football field and run the offense in the manner that we need to. And as I said it three weeks ago or whatever it was that he’s going to be next to get an opportunity, and that opportunity is now.”

White, the third-year signal caller, started three games for the Jets last season and made four appearances, completing 66.7% of his passes with 5 TDs and 8 INTs. He threw for 953 yards in action against the Patriots, the Bengals, the Colts and the Bills.

In his first career start, a 34-31 victory against the AFC champion Bengals, White completed 37-of-45 attempts for 405 yards with 3 TDs and 2 INTs. Originally a Cowboys fifth-round pick in 2018 out of Western Kentucky, White earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 400 yards in his first NFL start (Cam Newton, 2011).

White has been active for five games this season including the last two. Saleh told reporters following the Jets’ Week 8 loss to the Patriots that White had been elevated to backup – ahead of veteran Joe Flacco.

“Mike White is going to get the opportunity because we need to know what we have in Mike,” Saleh said. Speaking about last season, he added: “Mike has shown a lot of promise, had really good success against Cincinnati, had a really good first quarter versus Indianapolis before he gets hurt, so you just want to see what else Mike has in the event that opportunity presents itself.”

Last Sunday, the Jets offense produced only 3 points and 103 yards in a 10-3 loss at New England. In his seventh start of the season, Zach Wilson completed 9-of-22 for 77 yards. On Monday, Saleh told reporters that every position is being evaluated and “everything is on the table” at quarterback.

“When you put up 100 yards of offense, it’s unacceptable,” Saleh said Monday. “It’s not NFL football. Everything is being talked about, how can we all be better? The quarterback is part of a pile of stuff being talked about. It’s something we have to find an answer to and have to do by Wednesday. And by the time the players get here Wednesday, we have to put together a great game plan and put our best foot forward.”