Nine weeks into the season, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh continues to answer questions about Zach Wilson’s game.
Tuesday was no different after the Jets’ offense was abysmal in Monday’s 27-6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Saleh defended Wilson at his weekly press conference. He continued to do so on “The Michael Kay Show” before a question about practice quarterback Trevor Siemian set him off.
“You have Trevor Siemian in your building,” Kay (2:30 below) said of the NFL veteran with starting experience. “Why don’t you try him?”
“I understand,” Saleh replied. “Again, a fair question. As I said. I don’t know it. I’m going to refer to the fifth point in this question, which is simply – I kind of explained it. With respect, of course.
“These are legitimate questions. I know from a passionate fan, from passionate fans who all have the same questions, that I respect that a lot.”
Oh wow…@RealMichaelKay asked #Jets HC Robert Saleh right up front, why not try Trevor Siemian at QB against Zach Wilson?
Saleh paused, seemed nervous, tried to answer and then said: “I don’t know… You heard me, I will refer to the fifth point in this matter.” 😳 “They are valid…” pic.twitter.com/dJDqxMI2n7
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr. (@BoyGreen25) November 7, 2023
Saleh sounds like a man who is tired of the Wilson questions. He’s been playing against them for several seasons and had just spent two minutes with Kay defending his quarterback and claiming that what he sees on tape proves Wilson “didn’t really play badly.” Saleh instead blamed New York’s offensive woes on the collective, including Wilson, his teammates, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and himself.
“Sometimes when you use all 22 players, it’s very obvious that the quarterback just isn’t up to it,” Saleh told Kay. “That is simply not the case here. There are so many things everyone needs to get better at, including the quarterback.”
Saleh’s comments to Kay echoed those at his press conference on Tuesday, in which he also suggested that New York’s offensive struggles were a collective failure.
Robert Saleh says the Jets aren’t considering a move at QB:
“It would be one thing if it was fair [Zach Wilson]. If it was just about him it would be worth discussing, but this is a collective issue.” pic.twitter.com/nmoFavgBkl
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 7, 2023
“If it was just him, it would be worth discussing,” Saleh told reporters. “But this is a collective issue that we all have to agree on, whether it’s about dropped balls, whether players are where they’re supposed to be, whether they’re executing the way we’re executing Whether they call plays that need to be called, put players in the positions they need to be put in. This affects us all.
“Yes, he has a lot of things he needs to improve on and I know he understands that. At the same time, it’s collective.”
Robert Saleh continues to defend Zach Wilson. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) (Jim McIsaac via Getty Images)
This is a familiar refrain in New York. On a team with a top-10 defense and playmakers on offense, the Jets have long been considered a quarterback away from the competition. They thought they had found this quarterback when they traded him for Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers’ Achilles injury forced them to turn back to Wilson after previously replacing him with Mike White. Since then, Wilson has shown little improvement from the poor play of his first two seasons while completing 59.9% of passes for 6 yards per attempt with five touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games.
Saleh didn’t ask for it. And it’s understandable if he’s tired of the questions. But that’s what he has. And until the Jets find a solution for the quarterback, the questions won’t stop.