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Jets Decide Who Will Be Backup Quarterback For Zach Wilson

The New York Jets have selected quarterback Mike White to be the backup QB for rookie Zach Wilson this season. White was impressive during the preseason

Max Goodman

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Jets have selected Mike White to be New York's backup quarterback entering the regular season, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

This move comes after New York chose to release veteran quarterback Josh Johnson on Monday, according to FanSided. 

White was the clear favorite to win the backup job during the preseason, outplaying James Morgan while receiving more reps under center. Over the first two games (against the Giants and Packers), White completed 20 of his 28 passes for 166 yards.

Morgan was the only quarterback to play in all three preseason games, accumulating 208 passing yards. That number is inflated to a certain extent, however, by Morgan's heroic Hail Mary to Kenny Yeboah as time expired in Gang Green's preseason finale against Philadelphia.

Johnson played well in that tie with the Eagles, completing seven of eight passes for 73 yards. The odds were always stacked against him, though. As much as he was familiar with Robert Saleh and this offense, coming over late in training camp gave him less time to make enough of an impression to stick around. 

When the Jets rested Wilson and White in New York's final preseason contest, after a torrential downpour delayed kickoff and poured down on the playing surface, fans had an early indication of what direction the team would go with roster cuts looming.

White was drafted by the Cowboys in the fifth round back in 2018. When Dallas cut the signal-caller in September of 2019, the Jets swooped in and he's been a member of New York's roster off and on ever since. 

That said, between Wilson and White, New York will enter the regular season with a quarterback group that has taken a grand total of zero snaps in the NFL. Should something happen to Wilson, forcing the rookie to miss time, White will be thrown into action, making his pro debut—unless New York brings in a veteran along the way.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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