Jets will start QB Mike White vs. Bills (Report)

Mike White will make his third consecutive start against Buffalo.

The Mike White era lives on!

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the Jets will start Zach Wilson‘s primary backup this Sunday against the Bills. White started the Week 8 win over the Bengals (and put together a miraculous 405-yard, three-touchdown performance) as well as the subsequent Week 9 loss in Indianapolis.

White exited the latter matchup early with a forearm injury before veteran Josh Johnson entered in relief.

The #Jets are starting QB Mike White, source said, as the legendary backup will take the field against the #Bills. Zach Wilson will use the week to get healthier.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 10, 2021

Wilson returned to practice this week after missing two straight games with a PCL sprain suffered in Week 7, but ultimately will not return to the game field.

Honestly, if Wilson won’t be 100% against the talented division foe, starting White is the right move. The Jets didn’t place Wilson on injured reserve so he was eligible to return to practice at any time. An IR stint would’ve led Zach to miss at least three games before being eligible to return to practice.

Now, Wilson will essentially have two full weeks of practice ahead of the team’s Week 11 matchup with Miami, which is when Zach could ultimately return.

Expect the Jets to have Johnson and/or Joe Flacco on the active roster against Buffalo to back up White, although it would make more sense for the team to activate just one of the reserve signal-callers. The Jets acquired Flacco in a trade with the Eagles late last month.

White will have a significant task on his hands Sunday afternoon. The Bills sport the top defense in the league in terms of average total yards allowed, average passing yards allowed, and average points allowed.

Follow Ryan Honey on Twitter: @RyanHoneyESNY

Listen to ESNY’s Wide Right Podcast on Apple here or on Spotify here.