By Dianna Russini, Zack Rosenblatt and Larry Holder
The New York Jets (4-6) are benching quarterback Zach Wilson and moving forward Tim Boyle, league sources said. Here’s what you need to know:
The Jets benched Wilson again
This is the third time the Jets have benched Wilson — and this will almost certainly be the last.
The plan was never to play Wilson this year. The Jets hoped he would spend the year learning from Aaron Rodgers. Plans changed when Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1, and the Jets’ decision not to sign another veteran quarterback in light of that injury proved costly.
Even though the Jets managed to pull off a few upset wins against the Bills in Week 1 and the Eagles in Week 6, Wilson seemed to get worse with each week – culminating in a terrible performance against the Bills that left him benched for Boyle. According to TruMedia, Wilson ranks 37th out of 38 qualified quarterbacks (at least 100 dropbacks) — ahead of only Tommy DeVito of the New York Giants — in EPA per dropback.
Now the question is whether the Jets will move on from Wilson altogether by cutting him or simply demote him to third-string quarterback behind Boyle and practice quarterback Trevor Siemian, which is what they did with Mike White and Joe Flacco last year. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets staff writer
Wilson was literally the worst
This probably doesn’t surprise anyone, but Wilson has literally been the worst quarterback of the last three years statistically.
Since entering the league, he has performed as follows in advanced metrics since 2021 (via TruMedia):
- Expected points added per dropback: -0.19 (35th among 36 qualified QBs)
- Overall QB EPA: -229.2 (36th)
- Passer rating: 71.9 (36th)
- Graduation rate: 56.6 (36th)
- Third-down conversion percentage: 26.8 (36th)
His tariffs for 2023 do not paint a prettier picture:
- EPA per dropback: -0.24 (32nd among 32 qualified QBs)
- Overall QB EPA: -103.9 (32nd)
- Passer rating: 73.8 (30th)
- Graduation rate: 59.2 (32nd)
- Third-down conversion percentage: 24.5 (32nd)
We all know the Jets were hoping to avoid putting Wilson in the starting lineup again by trading for Rodgers this offseason. Now they’ll probably never do it again. —Larry Holder, senior NFL writer
What to expect from Boyle
Boyle doesn’t have a great track record statistically (three touchdowns, six interceptions as an NFL starter), but his best skills are his quick release and determination, key traits for a quarterback playing behind the Jets’ makeshift offensive line. Next week, the Jets are expected to start their eighth offensive line in 11 games.
According to TruMedia, Boyle averaged 2.38 seconds to throw against the Bills, which would be one of the fastest averages of any quarterback in the NFL this season.
“The biggest thing that stood out to me was his confidence in the huddle,” tight end Tyler Conklin said Monday. “He commanded the group really well. He is crucial to getting the ball out of his hands. These two things caught my eye.” – Rosenblatt
Backstory
While on the bench Sunday, Wilson was 7 of 15 passes for 81 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He had a passer rating of 57.9.
Boyle has spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears throughout his career, completing 60.8 percent of his passes for 607 yards, three touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Required reading
(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)