In his latest press conference, the NY Jets’ head coach spoke about the news surrounding the team’s quarterback position
The New York Jets’ quarterback situation continues to fluctuate.
At his Wednesday media availability, head coach Robert Saleh spoke about both Zach Wilson‘s status for Sunday and Aaron Rodgers‘s status.
Saleh said that Wilson is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol but did not rule out the former number two overall pick for Sunday.
“Everything’s improved, so I’m not closing the door on that yet,” said Saleh.
Regarding Rodgers, Saleh said that the quarterback “is not playing” this season but would be added to the active roster.
“We’re still going to keep him on the active. We have the roster flexibility with all the different things that have happened over the course of the last couple of weeks,” said Saleh.
“Like I said, it’s all a part of his rehab, and just having him out on the football field is a plus for everyone. It’s a plus for him, it’s a plus for his teammates, so we’re going to keep him on the 53.”
Saleh also added, “My instinct says if he was 100%, he’d probably be banging the door a little bit more” and that “there’s always just weighing the risks and rewards for him.”
The head coach touched upon the comments Rodgers made on ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show” about helping with recruiting players to New York.
“To get his opinion on all that stuff is always warranted, and we’re always going to include him,” said Saleh.
Regarding Rodgers’s future beyond 2024, Saleh gave a long answer regarding his thoughts on the matter.
“We believe we can win a championship. And I know he said two years, but in a perfect situation, we win a championship, and he walks off in the sunlight, but that’s a whole other discussion for the offseason, but you get the point. I think he’s going to play until his wheels fall off. I don’t think it’s one or two; I think he’ll go three, four, or five if he can. That’s just my opinion.”
With the 2023 season essentially over, the focus is now shifting toward how the Jets can build a roster that can break their playoff drought.
Despite wanting to finish the season strong, Saleh is not hiding his desire to get Rodgers and a revamped roster back next season. Even with his contributions to the team’s struggles, the head coach is looking to hitch himself to the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback’s future.
How the offseason shakes out remains to be seen, but until the Jets can move into the offseason, they will have to trudge through their remaining games in 2023 with a less-than-ideal quarterback situation.
