NY Jets should rest Zach Wilson in their final preseason game

The NY Jets are mere hours away from playing their final preseason game of the summer. And at the moment, rookie quarterback Zach Wilson is set to start and play a significant amount of the game.

Head coach Robert Saleh spoke to reporters this week and indicated that he plans to play the team's starters, including Wilson, for "no more than a half."

Wilson has played substantially in the preseason, much more than most starting quarterbacks, and could be in line for another busy day on Saturday.

But given recent developments, it's probably best that Saleh reconsiders how long he will play his rookie quarterback. Or if he should even play him at all.

The NY Jets should consider benching Zach Wilson

The weather right now at MetLife Stadium is far from ideal. It's pouring in East Rutherford at the moment and there's a good chance that the turf tonight will be slippery and potentially dangerous.

There's little reason to risk throwing your rookie quarterback out there, especially given that he will be without two of his starting offensive linemen.

Both Mekhi Becton (concussion) and Alijah Vera-Tucker (pectoral) are not expected to play in tonight's game. That means the Jets will be rolling with a pair of backup offensive linemen on offense.

Once again, the potential for loss far exceeds the potential gain.

To make matters worse, the Philadelphia Eagles plan to "rest most, if not all, of their starters" in tonight's game, per NFL Network's Mika Garafolo.

Wilson would be facing his opponent's reserves, much as he has in his first two preseason games. On the contrary, Wilson has had the chance to go up against the Eagles' starters.

One of the reasons so many teams have opted to rest their starting quarterbacks this preseason was the addition of more joint practices. Teams got the chance to see their starting lineups play against each other in practice all week.

Why further risk injury by throwing them into a meaningless preseason game?

That's the question Saleh must ask himself about tonight's game. The Jets have three other quarterbacks who can take snaps tonight.

Don't take unnecessary risks two weeks before the season begins. Rest Zach Wilson.