Mike White talks Jets future, confident he can be a starter in NFL

The Jets announced Friday that quarterback Mike White has five broken ribs and will be out for the team's season finale against the Miami Dolphins, as veteran quarterback Joe Flacco will get the start on Sunday and Zach Wilson will serve as the backup.

White missed Weeks 15 and 16 due to the ribs injury and was medically cleared to play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17, but was not 100 percent healthy and a few of the hits he took "really did a number" on him, according to SNY's Connor Hughes. 

With White's season over, the 27-year-old spoke to reporters Friday about his potential future with the franchise as he is set to be an unrestricted free agent following the season.

"Yeah, shoot. I don’t know, I guess we’ll wait and see," White said. "If any of you guys got a crystal ball, let me know."

White took over the starting role for the Jets in Week 12, as the team decided to bench Wilson after the former No. 2 pick struggled mightily against the New England Patriots and threw for only 77 yards in a 10-3 loss. White flourished in his first start against the Chicago Bears, throwing for 315 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-10 win. He then lost his next two starts before suffering the ribs injury and missing two games.

The Western Kentucky University product returned to the field last Sunday in a do-or-die game on the road in Seattle, but completed only 50 percent of his passes for 240 yards and two interceptions in the 23-6 loss. Despite the losses, the Jets' offense played better with White at quarterback compared to Wilson. With Wilson still under contract for at least the next two seasons, the organization has not given up on him and do not appear to be in a rush to move on from him.

That puts them in a tricky position with White, who could decide to leave New York for a team that gives him a more clear role as a starter. But White said Friday that he has loved his time with the Jets and "would love to be back."

"I mean, I love it here," White said. "I love the guys, I love the staff, I love the offense. I love, I mean shoot, my kids have basically been growing up and raised in Florham Park, so I really like it here. Now whatever happens, happens, but I know that I do enjoy it here and I enjoy playing with these guys in this locker room, and I would love to be back."

When asked if he feels like he's done enough on the field to prove he's a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, White did not hesitate and said he was proud of his play this season and is confident in his abilities. 

"I do," White said. "I do think like I’ve told you guys probably from the first time I talked to you last year, I do have an immense amount of confidence in myself, and I do view myself as a starter in this League. Now whether that happens here or not, we’ll wait and see, that’s not up to me, but like I told you guys earlier, I am proud of what I’ve put on film, and I thought I did a lot of good things.

"Now, was I perfect by any means? No, we still went 1-for-6 or whatever it was in the red zone in Minnesota, and that can’t happen. Felt like we could’ve scored more points in Buffalo, but overall body of work, I am proud of what I was able to accomplish."

Over four starts and a 1-3 record this season, White completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 1,192 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. In eight career games over two seasons, he's completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,145 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

White was also asked if he and the Jets have had contract talks and if the team has any interest in bringing him back for the 2023-24 season.

"We don’t talk about that type of stuff during the season, and I will leave that to my agent and Joe (Douglas) and them," White said. "It’s been business as usual, trying to figure out how to beat the Dolphins."

White may not be focused at the moment on where he will play next season, but the Jets will have to make a decision very soon regarding if it's worth paying him while still having Wilson under contract.