Jets' Zach Wilson Denies Rumor He Was 'Reluctant' to Return to Starting Role

The Athletic's Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt reported earlier in the week that New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was "reluctant" to return as the team's starting quarterback after he was benched for the past two games.

On Wednesday, Wilson denied that report:

"I want to play for these guys," he told reporters. "I would do anything for these guys."

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Wednesday that Wilson would be returning to the starting role this week against the Houston Texans:

No surprises there. Tim Boyle served as the starter the past two weeks and was poor, finishing 41-of-63 for 321 yards, one touchdowns and three interceptions. He was sacked eight times and the Jets lost both games. He was eventually benched against the Atlanta Falcons last week in favor of Trevor Siemian.

The Jets released Boyle this week and signed Brett Rypien from the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad.

The team hasn't been much better with Wilson. The 24-year-old has thrown for 1,944 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, completing just 59.2 percent of his passes while taking 38 sacks. The Jets are 3-6 in his starts.

Wilson now has a putrid 21-to-25 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his career and has only completed 56.6 percent of his passes in his three seasons. Since he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the Jets have gone 11-20 in his starts.

At this point, the 4-8 Jets aren't making the playoffs, barring a miraculous turnaround and a whole lot of help, so giving Wilson the rest of the season to see if he can find some kind of a spark makes sense.

Russini and Rosenblatt had reported that Wilson's reluctance to reclaim the starting gig came down to "perceived injury risk," but veteran Aaron Rodgers "reached out to Wilson in an effort to advise him to resume the starter role."

It's possible that the final five games of the season will be Wilson's last act in New York. A change of scenery might be his best option, especially with Rodgers assuming the starting role again next season after he recovers from his torn Achilles.

A strong finish to the season might bolster his currently non-existent trade value. Beyond that, Wilson and the Jets are just playing out the string.