Mike White is the man of the hour. But is he the man of the future?
White played great in his season debut Sunday against the Bears, and now Jets fans are wondering if they may have something in the 27-year-old career backup.
If White can continue to play like he did Sunday and the Jets keep winning, White will have a case to be the quarterback going into the 2023 season. But … there is a long way to go for that to happen. There are six games left in the Jets’ season, including huge road games against the Vikings, Bills, Seahawks and Dolphins. Then there is the question of whether White can lead the Jets to the playoffs and whether they can win a playoff game or two.
All of that will determine what the Jets decide in the offseason. But it’s 2022. We can’t wait for it to play out. Let’s look into the future and try to predict who could be the Jets starter in Sept. 2023.
Here are our candidates and the odds that they will get the job:
Zach Wilson — 3 to 1
It feels as if everyone has written off Wilson already, but take a step back and look at the big picture. The Jets drafted him No. 2 overall a year ago and gave him a $35 million contract. He has two years remaining on that deal. Despite recent events, it still feels as if Wilson is the most logical person to start next season.
Listen to what Robert Saleh has said recently. He is not closing the book on Wilson. The intent is for Wilson to play again this season. They still believe in Wilson.
It is not hard to envision a scenario where the Jets sell everyone on the promise that Wilson is fixed going into next year and he regains his spot atop the depth chart. Unlike everyone else on this list, Wilson is already under contract with the Jets for 2023. That gives him a leg up, even if it is hard to believe that right now.
Jimmy Garoppolo — 5 to 1
This one almost feels too obvious to actually happen. Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur know Garoppolo well from their time with the 49ers. Everyone on the coaching staff speaks highly of Garoppolo. The 31-year-old is scheduled to hit free agency after a weird year in San Francisco. When he reworked his deal before the season with the 49ers, the agreement was he could not be franchise tagged or traded, making free agency likely.
The only thing that stands in the way of Garoppolo hitting the open market is if the 49ers go on a run through the playoffs and get to the Super Bowl. That might put the Trey Lance plan on ice and force the 49ers to re-sign Garoppolo.
If he does make it to free agency, the Jets could be one of the most motivated suitors for a player who could be in line for a nice contract.
Mike White — 6 to 1
If you’re a prisoner of the moment, you’re ready to give White a monster, long-term contract. Slow down. White had a great game against a bad Bears defense on Sunday. There is a long way to go between now and White being named the starter of the future for the Jets. It was just a few months ago that there was a question of whether White would make it out of training camp or if the team would keep Chris Streveler over him.
White is playing on a $2.5 million restricted free agent deal, so he’s about to be an unrestricted free agent. He could play himself into a nice contract. Maybe he is a good middle ground for the Jets contract-wise: He should not be as expensive as some of the other free-agent quarterbacks unless he goes on a truly crazy run over the next two months. If that happens, it means the Jets have played deep into the playoffs. That’s a problem they would sign up for in a heartbeat.
Derek Carr — 20 to 1
When you speak to people inside the Jets, they will sometimes mention Carr as an example of what they hope Wilson can be. They mean an efficient, good quarterback who can win you games, but is not necessarily one of the best quarterbacks in football. Carr has had a nice run with the Raiders, but it feels as if that could be coming to an end.
The Raiders have struggled this year, and Josh McDaniels may want to bring in his own choice at quarterback. They won’t have long to make a decision on Carr. His 2023 salary becomes guaranteed in February, and the Raiders will have to cut him before then to save $29 million in cap space.
Carr could thrive in LaFleur’s offense and be just the type of quarterback a defensive-led team needs.
Aaron Rodgers — 1,000 to 1
I don’t think there is any chance of this happening, but I keep getting asked about it. Let’s start with the contract. The Packers can’t cut him or they’ll get hit with a $68 million cap charge. If they trade him, it is going to have to be after June 1 to make the money work. That means the acquiring team won’t have him at all in the spring.
Then, let’s get to the LaFleur factor. If the Packers and Rodgers decide to divorce, a big storyline is going to be his relationship with Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur. You think Rodgers is then going to want to come to the Jets to play for LaFleur’s little brother?
The Jets once acquired an aging, legendary Packers quarterback. I don’t see it happening again.
Sam Darnold or Geno Smith — 1,000,000,000 to 1
A couple of old Jets quarterbacks are scheduled to hit free agency. A reunion? No way.
Line-man
If you’re looking for unsung heroes in this Jets season, offensive line coach John Benton deserves a nod. The offensive line has been hit by injuries all season, but has played pretty well with a few exceptions.
Think back to the beginning of training camp, when the offensive line looked like this:
LT — George Fant
LG — Laken Tomlinson
C — Connor McGovern
RG — Alijah Vera-Tucker
RT — Mekhi Becton
Only Tomlinson and McGovern are currently playing. Becton and Vera-Tucker are out for the season. Fant is working his way back from injured reserve.
Consider all the moving pieces Benton has had to contend with. He was converting Becton and Vera-Tucker to new positions at the beginning of camp. He then had to flip Fant to right tackle when the team signed Duane Brown. Vera-Tucker played three different positions, none of which was the one he played in 2021.
The Jets have had three different starting left tackles, three different starting right guards and four different starting right tackles (if you go back to the beginning of camp).
The offensive line has not been perfect, but it has performed well (ranking 16th in sacks allowed and providing the blocking for a rushing game that averages 114.6 yards per game), particularly when you consider how much movement the unit has endured. Benton deserves a nod for his work this season.
Stat’s so
Mike White threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns against the Bears on Sunday. Over the past 10 seasons (2013-22), a Jets quarterback has thrown for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns seven times. White has done it twice. Here is the list in chronological order:
Dec. 28, 2014 (at Dolphins, W): Geno Smith — 358 yards, 3 TDs, 20-25 comp.-att.
Nov. 26, 2017 (vs. Panthers, L): Josh McCown — 307 yards, 3 TDs, 19-36 comp.-att.
Dec. 23, 2018 (vs. Packers, L): Sam Darnold — 341 yards, 3 TDs, 24-35 comp.-att.
Oct. 31, 2021 (vs. Bengals, W): Mike White — 405 yards, 3 TDs, 37-45 comp.-att.
Nov. 4, 2021 (at Colts, L): Josh Johnson — 317 yards, 3 TDs, 27-41 comp.-att.
Sept, 18, 2022 (at Browns, W): Joe Flacco — 307 yards, 4 TDs, 26-44 comp.-att.
Nov. 27, 2022 (vs. Bears, W): Mike White — 315 yards, 3 TDs, 22-28 comp.-att.
Source: Stathead
