The Jets will start Zach Wilson benching Tim Boyle against the Dolphins

Written by Diana Rossini, Zach Rosenblatt, and Larry Holder

The New York Jets (4-6) will bench quarterback Zach Wilson and start Tim Boyle moving forward, coach Robert Saleh said Monday. Here’s what you need to know:

Jets bench Wilson again

This is the third time the Jets have benched Wilson — and it will almost certainly be the last.

It was never the plan to play Wilson this year. The Jets were hoping to spend the year learning from Aaron Rodgers. Plans changed when Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1 and the Jets’ decision not to sign another veteran quarterback in light of that injury proved costly.

Even as the Jets managed to steal some upset wins against the Bills in Week 1 and the Eagles in Week 6, Wilson seemed to get worse with each passing week — culminating in a terrible performance against the Bills that landed him benched in favor of Boyle. Wilson ranks 37th out of 38 qualifying quarterbacks (minimum 100 running backs) — ahead of only the New York Giants’ Tommy DeVito — in EPA per running back, according to TruMedia.

Now the Jets will demote him to a third-string quarterback behind Boyle and run with a Simian quarterback, which is what they did last year with Mike White and Joe Flacco. – Zach Rosenblatt, Jets staff writer

Wilson was the worst, literally

This probably doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but Wilson has literally been the worst quarterback, statistically speaking, the last three years.

Since joining the league, here’s how he’s stacked up in advanced metrics since 2021 (via TruMedia):

• Expected points added per running back: -0.19 (35th out of 36 qualifying QBs)
• Total QB EPA: -229.2 (ranked 36th)
• Passing rating: 71.9 (36)
• Completion percentage: 56.6 (36)
• Conversion percentage from third down: 26.8 (36th)

Its rates for 2023 do not paint a better picture:

• EPA per dropback: -0.24 (32nd out of 32 qualifying QBs)
• Total QB EPA: -103.9 (ranked 32nd)
• Passer Rating: 73.8 (30)
• Completion percentage: 59.2 (32)
• Conversion percentage from third down: 24.5 (32)

We all know the Jets were hoping to not start Wilson again by trading for Rodgers this offseason. Now, they probably won’t do it again. — Larry Holder, NFL senior writer

What to expect from Boyle

Boyle doesn’t have a great statistical record (three touchdowns and six interceptions as an NFL starter) but his best skills are his quick motivation and decisiveness, essential traits for a quarterback playing behind the Jets’ makeshift offensive line. Next week, the Jets are expected to start their eighth different offensive line in 11 games.

Boyle averaged 2.38 seconds to throw against the Bills, per TruMedia, which would be one of the fastest averages of any quarterback in the NFL this season.

“The main thing that stood out was his confidence in the huddle,” Tyler Conklin said Monday. “He led the huddle really well. He’s decisive in getting the ball out of his hands. Those two things stuck.” -Rosenblatt

Dramatic story

Wilson was 7 of 15 passing for 81 yards with one touchdown and one interception at the time of his sitting Sunday. He has a 57.9 passer rating.

Boyle spent time with the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears during his career and completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 607 yards, three touchdowns and nine interceptions.

what are they saying

“We’ll deal with it in the offseason, guys,” Saleh said — when asked about Wilson’s future with the Jets. “Now it’s really about Miami.”

Saleh also said “no” when asked if the Jets should, in retrospect, have a more proven No. 2 quarterback than Wilson.

“We think Zach is incredibly talented, and he felt like he was going to get a chance to sit behind Aaron and just learn,” Saleh said. “Sympathically or sympathetically, when you look at Zach, he never had the opportunity to watch somebody play that position. … That was his chance with Aaron and four games in the starting lineup. He never had to sit back and digest it and have that year that you would have loved To give it to him.

Regarding New York’s pre-draft process that led them to select Wilson, Saleh said he “got his ideas” and shared them with Jets general manager Joe Douglas but declined to provide details on those ideas.

Required reading

(Photo: Sarah Steer/Getty Images)