Jerry Recco and Sal Licata are in for Boomer & Gio this week, but the main topic of discussion to open Tuesday’s show was exactly what you’d expect: Mike White.
The Jets announced Monday that White is cleared to play and will be the starter the rest of the way, with Zach Wilson inactive – and to Sal, it’s startling that even with White cleared and everyone happy, Wilson is somehow still part of the narrative.
“Isn’t it crazy how Zach Wilson is still part of the story where he’s really not anymore?” Sal asked. “It should be about Mike White and what he’s going to be for this Jets team moving forward, with a team that has a chance to make the playoffs.”
Sal knows what the Giants are, and they’re likely to make the playoffs, but the Jets are still an enigma no matter where they stand on Jan. 9.
“The Jets are intriguing because of the quarterback situation, because they still have life after the Packers beat the Dolphins, and because Mike White, who everyone is focused on and everybody is excited about, we still don’t know what he is,” Sal said. “Is he the answer next year? I don’t know and I don’t think anyone can know! The same way you shouldn’t be able to know Zach Wilson isn’t the guy in two years, how can we definitively say that Mike White is? Has he been their best QB right now? Yes, but we don’t know enough about what he is as an NFL quarterback, and hopefully we can figure that out over the next two weeks.”
Jerry however, found one exchange in Saleh’s Monday press conference interesting, remembering a question about how the team responded to White’s toughness after the Buffalo game, and how obvious it was, and then a later question about White.
“So he’s asked if, because of Mike White’s journey, he is respected more,” Jerry posited, “and I thought Saleh’s answer pretty much told you the story. He never mentioned Zach Wilson, but if you read between the lines, they think White has been a grinder, and it’s a microcosm for much of society. And what I tool from it is that Zach Wilson hasn’t earned that respect from the locker room, and they look at Mike White as more like them – and my guess is they’re looking at (Wilson) like a snot-nosed kid who was handed things and hasn’t shown us anything.”
And, Jerry says, regardless of the White narrative, we already know where Wilson’s turning point is likely to be if his career never gets on track.
“Then you throw into the mix the postgame comments after the New England game, and it Zach Wilson never becomes a good starting quarterback in the league, that is going to be the moment in time where everything changed,” Jerry said.
Sal’s problem is that no one really knows who the Jets’ quarterback will be next year, and that’s why the story is what it is, but Mike White has been much more personable in his postgame media sessions – and, of course, the only reason Wilson was afforded a second chance was White’s injury.
“You don’t have a quarterback next year, which is why Wilson is still part of the story, but to be fair to Zach Wilson, you can’t learn what he needs to learn in three weeks – and if Mike White doesn’t get hurt, he still would be inactive on the sideline,” Sal said. “That’s how it should’ve been when they talked about the reset, he has to learn and put the work in before getting another opportunity, but the injury diverted that – but it didn’t work, so now they’ve realized we can’t go with him anymore.”
And that, Sal says, leaves three things to watch for with the Jets…and the third may be the most important, even if it’s the only one that can’t be discerned over the next month?
“One is this year and the Jets trying to salvage the season and get to the postseason, two is who is Mike White and can he be their franchise quarterback, and three, what is Zach Wilson, who is an asset they don’t just kick to the curb unless you’re a moronic franchise,” Sal said. “Anybody saying they’re putting the fork in Zach Wilson, you are an idiot! You can’t do that to a No. 2 overall pick two years in, and nor should they do that.”
Follow WFAN's morning team on Twitter: @7BOOMERESIASON, @GioWFAN, @Alsboringtweets, @JerryRecco, and @WFANMornings
Follow Sal Licata on Twitter: @sal_licata
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