The Jets made a quarterback change this week, and it brings to mind when they did the same thing exactly one year ago.
In 2022, the Jets benched Zach Wilson for Mike White.
This year, it is Tim Boyle relieving Wilson of his starting job.
White will be back in MetLife Stadium on Friday as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup, bringing back memories of when he was a Jet and raising the question of why the Jets did not keep him this offseason.
White had an unforgettable game as a Jet when he threw for 405 yards in the win over the Bengals in 2021.
He also played well last year before breaking his ribs against the Bills.
White hit free agency in the offseason and the Jets did discuss keeping him, but it did not make sense for either side.
The Jets quickly decided after the season that they were going to pursue an established veteran quarterback to be their 2023 starter.
They kicked the tires on a few but ultimately decided to make the trade for Aaron Rodgers.
They also decided they were not going to give up completely on Wilson.
Their hope was that he could sit on the bench in 2023, decompress from the pressure of his first two years and learn from Rodgers.
It would not have made sense for the Jets to also keep White, and White wanted to go somewhere that he thought he would have a better chance to play.
White chose the Dolphins, where Tua Tagovailoa battled concussion issues last year and was not a sure thing to start a full season.
White got a two-year, $8 million contract from the Dolphins.
Tagovailoa has stayed healthy, so White has been limited to two garbage-time appearances this year.
He did throw a touchdown pass in the Dolphins’ 70-20 win over the Broncos in September.
There was also a financial component to all of this.
The Jets knew they were going to have to invest big money into Rodgers.
Before the trade, they were not even sure exactly how much.
He later reworked his contract to lower the number.
Wilson also has a $9 million cap charge this season off of his rookie deal.
Investing another $4 million at quarterback would be questionable salary-cap management.
The decision to keep Wilson as the No. 2 was a mistake by the Jets’ brass.
If White does get into the game on Friday, the MetLife crowd surely will give him a warm welcome.
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