NY Jets HC Robert Saleh 'doesn't know' why his own team won't bench Zach Wilson

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That's exactly the situation the NY Jets find themselves in when it comes to Zach Wilson.

Despite Wilson's persistent and repeated struggles over the last three years, despite the fact that he's proven time and time again to be statistically one of the worst quarterbacks in modern NFL history, the Jets continue to trot him out on the field.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh has shielded Wilson from seemingly all criticism, blaming essentially everyone else on the roster for his quarterback's shortcomings. More importantly, the Jets have shown no willingness to consider a QB chance.

Most will be quick to blame Saleh for this, and while that's obviously fair, a recent quote from the Jets' head coach on The Michael Kay Show on Tuesday seems to suggest that Saleh isn't the only one making this decision.

In fact, his hands might very well be tied.

Are the NY Jets stopping Robert Saleh from benching Zach Wilson?

When asked about why the Jets continue to start Wilson and why they haven't given an opportunity to someone like Trevor Siemian, Saleh fumbled over his words before finally responding with a blunt, "I don't know."

Saleh sounded defeated as he told Kay, "I don't know. You got me. I'm going to plead the fifth on this one." It sounded clear to everyone listening that Saleh didn't know how to answer that question.

That should set off some serious alarms. The Jets' own head coach can't answer why he refuses to bench his starting quarterback. He doesn't know why his team won't give Siemian an opportunity to start.

That's really bad, and it's indicative of some higher power potentially forcing his hand. Of course, that's just speculation. Perhaps Saleh just froze live on air. Perhaps he was tired of blindly defending Wilson and just gave up.

That hasn't stopped the conspiracy theories from flying, however. And it also doesn't help the optics in this situation.

Saleh has already come under intense criticism for his continued commitment to Wilson as the team's starting quarterback. His blind support has angered some within the Jets locker room, and it's safe to say the fan base is right there with them.

The Jets are at a crossroads as an organization. The current regime's continued insistence on putting the psyche of one man over the rest of the team is dumbfounding, and it's already begun to cause issues in the locker room.

Saleh's press conferences are getting harder and harder to listen to. His radio segments sound more like a man being held captive than a head coach with full autonomy over his roster.

Something needs to change. Unfortunately, Saleh might not have a choice.