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New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh’s commitment to quarterback Zach Wilson seems as though it might cost him the trust of both the fanbase and, more worryingly, the locker room. And according to recent reports, that’s exactly what’s happening.
As per longtime New York Jets reporter Rich Cimini, the team’s locker room is “ready to implode” as the defense is “not happy” with the way that Saleh seems to be a “Wilson apologist”.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini does not pain a pretty picture about the state of the #Jets. Says Saleh is coming off as a “Zach apologist” and it doesn’t “sit well in the locker
room.”Adds the defense is “not happy” and that there is “tension in the locker room” over Wilson still playing. pic.twitter.com/0nXFedN4oz
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) September 27, 2023
Cimini’s report definitely tracks, as tensions were seen boiling over on the sidelines during their game against the Pats, as running back Michael Carter was caught on camera screaming at the team’s running back coach, while wide receiver Garrett Wilson was also spotted having an animated conversation with the quarterback.
The seams in the Jets’ locker room even caused Aaron Rodgers to chime in, as he used his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show to try and impart some wisdom on his struggling team.
“This is what teams have to go through. There’s adversity points in every season. This year it’s happening early and people are coming for us,” Rodgers said.
“There’s some heated conversations on the sideline and different things; I think we need to hold our poise a little bit better. We need to not have some of those things happen on the sideline and to be a little better and be better competitors.”
It certainly isn’t a surprising development, as this is a Jets team that’s gone from having Super Bowl aspirations to arguably the league’s worst starting quarterback in just a little over two weeks.
In Wilson’s two starts this season against the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots, the Jets have lost both games and scored a combined 20 points.
Despite signing veteran journeyman Trevor Siemian, Saleh seems to be committed to starting Wilson at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. Considering what the Chiefs just did to the Bears over the weekend — in front of Taylor Swift, of course — the scene at MetLife Stadium might get ugly quickly if Wilson doesn’t start playing like an NFL-caliber quarterback.
Making matters worse, it’ll be the Gang Green’s first appearance on Sunday Night Football since the Butt Fumble game in 2012 (yes, that was a Thanksgiving Day game, but it was branded as Sunday Night Football).