It sounds like quarterback Mike White still wants to fight for a spot with the New York Jets even though they’ve moved on to bigger names.
Per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, White made it known during a Friday appearance on WQAM out of Miami that he would “love” to return to the Jets this offseason.
“Like I said, the locker room’s fantastic, I talk to all those guys every day,” White explained. “I don’t know, we have to see. Things in this league change so fast and situations are so fluid, and who knows what’s gonna happen when.”
White, who is set to hit free agency when the new league year opens on March 15, added he wouldn’t take anything regarding the Jets’ decision about his future personally. The 27-year-old also said he really likes New York’s coaching staff and locker room.
White began the 2022 season essentially out of mind beneath 2021 second-overall draft pick Zach Wilson and veteran Joe Flacco on the depth chart but was called into action after head coach Robert Saleh benched Wilson in late November.
While White instantly became a fan-favorite among Jets diehards, he suffered broken ribs in December and ultimately appeared in just four games.
In total, White completed 58.9% of 175 pass attempts for 1,192 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. Two of those picks occurred after the rib injury.
White declared in January he views himself “as a starter in this league.”
According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Saleh said during a call with reporters on Thursday that he wants White back on the roster, in part because the Jets “carried three [quarterbacks] last year.”
However, it’s widely believed the Jets are holding out for Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers to push for a trade to the Big Apple. Gang Green seemingly has free agent Derek Carr as its second preferred option behind Rodgers.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas suggested at the NFL combine this week that a veteran signal-caller would be asked to mentor Wilson throughout 2023. If nothing else, White is quite familiar with that role.
