FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mike White, a quarterback with only two career victories as a starter -- who began the season as a third-stringer -- returns from injury this week as the perceived savior of a New York Jets team clinging to playoff hopes.
If this makes the Jets seem desperate, it's because they are -- they have a 10.2% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics -- having lost four straight while experiencing a serious case of Zach Wilson fatigue. But they also have an affinity for White, the popular underdog who galvanized teammates and won their respect many times over by playing hurt and trying to convince doctors to let him play with cracked ribs.