Mojo Player Spotlight: Mike White, QB, New York Jets

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Most everyone can agree at this point that Zach Wilson was struggling as the Jets’ starter. Whether his struggles warranted benching is fair to debate, but that he was struggling is fairly apparent. 

Despite that, the Jets were 5-2 in Wilson’s starts this year. Some of that is because “QB wins” is not a stat, and some of that (relatedly) is because the Jets feature a fantastic defense. In Wilson’s seven starts, the Jets allowed 20, 17, 10, 9, 22, 17 and 10 points, an average of 15.0 points per game. Wilson holdouts could confidently point at the “5-2” and say “See? He’s winning games!” Obviously we know it’s more complicated than that, but perception is reality for many.

Enter Mike White.

White took over as the starter for Wilson in Week 12 and was electric, albeit against a floundering Bears defense. He completed 22-of-28 attempts for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns, a 149.3 passer rating, as the Jets rolled the Bears 31-10. We’ll see who starts under center for the Jets in 2023 – or for that matter in Week 16 or so this year – but after that performance and that game, the starter in Week 13 of 2022 was immediately clear, and it is “Mike White.”

Mojo Spotlight: Mike White

White’s Mojo stock price was right around $3 a share heading into last week’s game. He lit up the Bears and became a sensation, so of course his stock price rose. As of this writing, though, it sits at only $3.89 a share. You won’t find many starting quarterbacks that cheap, and if White can continue under center for the Jets, that price will rise, just because starting quarterbacks cost more than that. He doesn’t have to be good. It would be nice if he is, but it’s not a prerequisite.

The obvious question there is whether White can continue under center. A year ago, White got the start in Week 8 against a Bengals team that went on to make the Super Bowl and captained the team to a 34-31 upset win, completing a whopping 37-of-45 attempts for 405 yards and 3 touchdowns (with 2 interceptions). He was a sensation. And then he got two more starts, lost two games, completed 31-of-55 pass attempts for 346 yards combined, and had 1 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. But then last year, he was backed by a bad defense, whereas this year, the Jets’ defense is one of the league’s best. In other words, even if White struggles, the team has a shot at faring well, and that could keep him rolling.

Going Forward

This week, the Jets face a Vikings team that just made Mac Jones look better than he has all year. White could produce again in that matchup, and if the defense can keep it close, his stock will rise. Week 14, against the Bills, is the obvious potential tripping point, but if White can survive that game, he and the Jets close with a four-game stretch against the Lions, Jaguars, Seahawks and Dolphins that is positively drool-inducing. You’ll have to stave off a scary Bills game, but if White can hold onto the starting role through that, he could close on a real heater.

To be clear: This is not a long-term investment. You aren’t picking up some shares of Mike White in hopes of stashing them until 2025 or anything like this. If anything, this is a pump-and-dump – grab him now, ride him through the rest of the season, and sell him when the buzz is at its peak, especially if his stout defense helps him to a 5-2, 4-3 record as the starter. Grab shares of White now, sell this offseason, count some quick profits.