Some have viewed the Jets’ lack of a veteran quarterback presence as a problem for the team this upcoming season, and Gang Green nearly addressed it in the offseason.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, head coach Robert Saleh said that New York had “discussions” with veteran signal caller Nick Mullens, formerly of the 49ers before signing with the Eagles on Monday.
“We had discussions,” Saleh said. “But we felt these young quarterbacks deserved an opportunity to showcase who they are and I’m excited for Nick to get that opportunity in Philadelphia."
Mullens would have brought a familiarity to the Jets, as Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur both were with Mullens in San Francisco. He also would have brought more experience than the entire quarterback core on the Jets current depth chart, logging 19 games and 16 starts over three seasons.
But Saleh stands by Zach Wilson, who many would like to see have a veteran presence at his side in his rookie season, and James Morgan, who was drafted in the fourth round last year but was inactive for all of 2020.
“There’s that balance of someone needs a veteran to kind of help them,” Saleh said. “Also, there’s a fourth-round pick from a year ago [Morgan]. There’s also Mike White. So there’s a lot of reps for them to be had to see where they’re at because they deserve that opportunity to showcase who they are. There’s a balancing act there. Mike and Morgan have been doing a good job. They’ve had their ups and downs just like Zach has, but it doesn’t mean just because they’re a veteran, they’re going to help a quarterback. There’s a match that needs to happen.”
Of course, there are still some veteran quarterback options available that could potentially back up Wilson, and with the start of the season still months away, the roster could look different come September.
“Once minicamp is over obviously we’ll sit down with Joe again and have a conversation about where the roster is and make the decision during the next few weeks,” Saleh said.
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