ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 19: Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets jogs across the field in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York.
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

Jets Bury Zach Wilson on Depth Chart After Benching vs. Bills

The New York Jets will have a new starting quarterback on Black Friday against the Dolphins, and a new backup, too.

Videos by FanBuzz

Jets head coach Robert Saleh announced Monday afternoon that Tim Boyle would get the start in Friday's contest, with Trevor Siemian serving as the primary backup. Meanwhile, Zach Wilson, who was benched in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, will be active as the No. 3 emergency quarterback.

 

Wilson had previously struggled mightily to keep the Jets afloat in the wake of Aaron Rodgers tearing his Achilles tendon just four snaps into the regular season opener against Buffalo.

Sunday afternoon in Buffalo, Wilson managed only 81 passing yards with one touchdown, one interception, and the offense never quite shifted out of neutral.

Saleh and the coaching staff had previously given Wilson every opportunity to turn the offense around, but support for the embattled third-year quarterback — and the decision to keep playing him, had eroded in the front office in recent weeks.

"Legit quarterbacks can overcome their own mistakes and those around them," a team source told FanBuzz. "Zach has zero chance to do that."

Stream the NFL on CBS live all season long on Paramount+. Try it FREE!

Wilson completed just 7-of-15 passes for 81 yards with one touchdown and one interception. While Boyle wasn't much better, at 7-of-14 for 33 yards with an interception, the Jets' offense did seem to open up a bit, especially in the running game, when Boyle came into the game.

Clearly, in the wake of the offense gaining even a modicum of traction, and Wilson's continued struggles, it simply became untenable for the Jets to continue running Wilson out there.

Prior to getting benched Sunday afternoon, Wilson completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 1,944 yards with six touchdowns to seven interceptions on the season.

MORE: Zach Wilson's Brother is Dominating the High School Landscape