Following his performance in the 2021-22 season, fans are expecting Mike White to become one of the rising quarterbacks in the NFL for the upcoming new season.
White transformed from under-the-radar quarterback to the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing 405 yards and leading with 3 touchdowns in a 34-31 win against the Cincinnati Bengals back in October last year.
The former Dallas Cowboys QB became an instant hit among fans of the New York Jets and practicing quarterbacks across the NFL, inspiring them to work harder and achieve the performance he did. Despite his meteoric rise, White stayed humble about his performance.
“I learned first-person that there are some passionate fans here and when you win they are loud, which is cool. But I tried not to get too caught up in it because things change in a heartbeat,” White said.
In spite of his incredible performance, White didn’t play in any of the eight final games after throwing four interceptions in his third start.
The free agency offered White a non-guaranteed one-year, $2.45 million contract to play for the Jets which he accepted, rather than try to leverage his performance to get a higher spot in some other team’s depth chart. Despite the contract, White will be trying to prove that he is better than his QB3 slot implies.
“I know what the Jets think of me and what I think of them. I’m glad I’m back because I think we’re building something special and I didn’t want to leave just when it’s starting to get going,” White added.
Zach Wilson is currently sidelined for the next 2-4 weeks following surgery done on his torn meniscus. This had led to the Jets elevating Joe Flacco and White to the starters. Despite Wilson’s injury, the Jets are not very worried as they are confident in the skills of their quarterbacks.
“We feel like we have three starting quarterbacks. Mike has gone out and proven that he can beat a really good defense. We have all the faith in the world in Mike,” said Robert Saleh, coach of the Jets.
White has mixed feelings regarding Wilson’s injury. He admitted to expressing worry at first but pushed the feelings aside when it was time to play.
“No different than last year. Control what you can control,” White said.
White added that the key trait for a quarterback is confidence. While he was worried for Wilson, the injury did give him the opportunity to make it onto the field and play. The former Western Kentucky Hilltopper is satisfied with his current performance and expects to improve after the training camp, showing decisiveness on reads and leadership skills with younger third-teamers.
Mike White, Bengals
The Bengals, even after losing to the Jets, made a surprise run to the 2022 Super Bowl. Despite being key in their defeat, White is very impressed with their performance.
He said that the Bengals “made a lot of corrections after they played us, and got really good at it.” While he can’t take full credit, he was rooting for the team to make it. His social media and phone blew up after the Bengals’ performance with friends asking him “What did you see that everyone else can’t see?”
“You’re rooting for them, in a sense, to win the Super Bowl because it makes the win look that much better — not even for me but for our team,” White added.
It has been a wild ride for Mike White last season. Many fans will be watching his future career with great interest and others will be looking forward to a rematch between the Jets and the Bengals