Robert Saleh's Zach Wilson benching take hints at outside influence

The NY Jets have reached a breaking point in the eyes of a good chunk of their fanbase once again. The play of quarterback Zach Wilson, picked No. 2 overall by Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh, has been so putrid that yet another top-five defense could be wasted on a team that will miss the postseason.

Wilson has led the Jets to just eight offensive touchdowns this season. Wilson has just one touchdown pass since Week 4 (where Breece Hall did 99% of the work) and the Jets haven't had a touchdown drive longer than one play since that Chiefs game. Their third-down offense is the league's worst in 45 years.

Despite all of that, Saleh hasn't chosen to either take play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett or benching Wilson. When asked about the latter on The Michael Kay Show, Saleh was left speechless and later "pleaded the fifth" to get out of making a definitive statement.

There's simply no way that a coach who has limited Quinnen Williams' snaps and made some big changes in areas of need (after weeks of prodding) can look at Wilson ruining a second promising season in a row and say nothing is wrong. Someone else is clearly influencing Saleh and imposing their will on him.

Why won't NY Jets coach Robert Saleh bench Zach Wilson?

Could this be a Joe Douglas decision? While Douglas seemed to admit defeat on Wilson when he traded for Aaron Rodgers, one can never underestimate the arrogance of a GM who is looking to show that he made a good selection with the most important pick he'll ever have.

Is Woody Johnson back to his old meddling ways? Johnson has always loved Wilson and has not been above meddling in affairs before. With Saleh having benched Wilson previously, he clearly doesn't have a ton of personal loyalty towards him.

Is this Aaron Rodgers calling the shots away from the team? Rodgers has been a vocal supporter of Wilson in the past, and the additions of Hackett, Randall Cobb, and Allen Lazard are all tied back to him. His influence can't be disregarded in matters like this.

The Jets seem willing to let this season go down the tubes by riding Wilson, who has three touchdown passes in seven games outside of the outlier game against the Chiefs. It's hard to fathom Saleh approving of this poor quarterback play.

This Jets offense has been so bad, you've had to sweat out just about every game, but that won't be the case if you bet on New York at Caesars Sportsbook! Just sign up, use the promo code FSNFL1000 and deposit $10 or more. Then, your first bet will be backed by the house for up to $1,000! Sign up for Caesars Sportsbook now!