Mike White out, Zach Wilson in as Jets' starting quarterback

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Zach Wilson’s fundamentals were broken and his production wasn’t passable for an NFL passer, so Mike White was handed the keys to the Jets’ offense. But now White has broken ribs, so Wilson is back as the starting quarterback.

White went 1-2 as the starter after Wilson got benched and hoped to be behind center again Sunday against Detroit at MetLife Stadium. It’s a crucial game for the 7-6 Jets’ hopes of reaching the postseason, which they haven’t done since the 2010 season.

Robert Saleh called White “an absolute warrior,” but he announced Friday that the organization won’t let him play, saying that “this is one of those deals where we’ve got to do what’s best for the player and protect the player from the player.”

White took two very big hits in last Sunday’s 20-12 loss at Buffalo. He practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday, but the Jets’ doctors wouldn’t clear him for contact. White revealed Friday that he has fractured ribs.

“Just a couple in a row that makes that area just kind of like really vulnerable,” he said.

Still, White didn’t want to accept the verdict from the team physicians. He said he has “general soreness” in the ribs but that it doesn’t inhibit his playing ability.

So he sought out others with “Dr.” in front of their names to say he could play.

“I think I’ve tried talking to almost 10 doctors to just find somebody to clear me and they just won’t,” White said. “I completely understand why. But I’m always going to try to fight like hell to be out on the field with my guys. So it’s frustrating.

“ . . . It’s just the contact. If I get hit in the right spot, it could lead to some further damage.”

White tried to weigh the reward and the risk. He spoke to his wife. “[It] was yes, I’m a football player now, but I’ve got to be her husband and my kids’ dad for well past my playing days,” White said. “That definitely gets factored into it, which made it that much tougher.”

Saleh elevated Wilson to second string earlier in the week after he was inactive for three games. The No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft certainly has created questions about whether he’s the ultimate answer at quarterback.

“This is just a great opportunity for him to just get back on track and do what we know he’s capable of,” Saleh said.

Wilson is excited. He said he wants what happened “to be a reset for me,” to feel “grateful” to be a player, to try to improve and to enjoy “the moments with the guys in the locker room.”

The thing is, he caused some tension in the locker room after his last start, a 10-3 loss at New England in which he threw for only 77 yards and the Jets had 2 yards of offense in the second half. Asked after the game if he felt he and the offense had let the defense down, Wilson said “no” twice.

Saleh said he thinks the players trust Wilson, and he praised his accuracy in practice. But could his footwork and other fundamental issues have been cured for a game day so quickly?

“Cured, I mean, I wouldn’t say that,” Wilson said. “I would say I’ve really just focused on just enjoying football again, going back to the basics, the fundamentals of just being an efficient quarterback. Having those scout team reps, I think, were beneficial for me.”

Saleh wouldn’t speculate on what will happen at the position after this game. White will be reevaluated on Monday.

Wilson didn’t seem to be sweating over anything.

“The worst has already happened for me personally,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and just have fun, and whatever happens happens.”

Notes & quotes: Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (calf) didn’t practice all week and is questionable. “We’re still hopeful,” said Saleh, who added that he thinks Williams has a “50-50 chance” to play . . . Receiver Corey Davis (concussion) and cornerback Brandin Echols (quadriceps) are out.