Jets to start QB Tim Boyle over Zach Wilson vs. Dolphins

Zach Wilson‘s Week 11 benching will continue into Week 12.

The Jets will start veteran backup Tim Boyle in this Friday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Monday, per a source. The AFC East matchup is the first-ever “Black Friday” game on Prime Video.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh confirmed Wilson’s benching on Monday afternoon and told reporters that Wilson will now be No. 3 on the team’s depth chart. Veteran Trevor Siemian will back up Boyle, while Wilson will also be active on Friday.

“Just give him an opportunity, different style of quarterback,” Saleh told reporters on Monday of his decision to go with Boyle. “It’s really just an opportunity to see if he can do something with the offense.”

Boyle replaced Wilson late in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, completing 7 of 14 passes for 33 yards and throwing an interception in the final minutes of the 32-6 defeat.

Wilson completed 7 of 15 passes for 81 yards and threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Breece Hall, but also threw an ugly interception in the second quarter of what was then a 9-0 game. Buffalo turned that takeaway into a TD and a 16-0 lead, which would’ve been enough to win the game at that point, considering how ineffective New York’s offense has proven to be for much of 2023.

That reality is primarily why Jets head coach Robert Saleh is turning to Boyle. New York never expected to be forced to proceed with Wilson this season, but after Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles tear early in Week 1, the Jets had no choice but to turn to the former No. 2 overall pick. He’s had brief moments of success in which he’s displayed the potential that prompted the Jets to select him one pick behind Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, but for the most part, the product has been incredibly underwhelming.

Wilson’s stat line reflects the frustration that has consumed Jets fans in 2023: 190 of 321, 1,944 yards, and a 6-7 TD-INT ratio. New York ranks 30th in total offense, 30th in passing, and 30th in points per game, placing far too much responsibility on the Jets’ stingy defense to keep them in games.

Despite his decision to go with Boyle and elevate Siemian, Saleh still showed support for Wilson and declined to label the young QB’s tenure in New York as a failure.

“Had things gone exactly they way we wanted them to? No. I don’t look at it as a failure,” Saleh told reporters on Monday. “I look it as a series of unfortunate events. But I stand strong in the belief that Zach’s going to have a really good career in this league. He’s got tremendous work ethic. He’s gotten a lot better over the course of the last year. He definitely has the arm talent. He just turned 24, so he’s got a positive outlook, and he just needs to continue to focus on his game and find ways to get better and continue to learn about fronts and coverages and how to play the game a little bit faster. I still believe he’s going to have a good career.”

But ten games of lackluster QB play was enough for Saleh to finally yank the leash on Wilson and go with another option, which many Jets fans complained took far too long to take place. There’s no guarantee Boyle will be any better, but at least Saleh is finally done defining insanity – doing the same thing and expecting different results — under center.