Jets' Mike White Opens Up About 'Frustrating' Injury Against Colts on Thursday Night
Finding rookie Elijah Moore for a game-tying touchdown midway through the first quarter, Jets quarterback Mike White pointed to the sideline and pumped his fist.
For a moment, it looked like White and the Jets were poised to produce another magical performance, battling with the Indianapolis Colts on the national stage.
Once White returned to the bench, and the adrenaline from his fifth-career touchdown pass wore off, he began to feel some discomfort in his right forearm.
White would end up sitting out for the remainder of New York's 45-30 loss on Thursday night, never feeling good enough while gripping the football to be able to return to the game.
"We don't know exactly when it occurred," White told reporters after the loss. "I know I felt it on the touchdown throw to Elijah. I just felt it almost lock up on me and going to the sideline, my two middle fingers went numb."
Cameras on the live broadcast showed White getting checked out by trainers repeatedly on the sideline. A compression sleeve, heat and plenty of warmup throws didn't alleviate the pain. By the time White was feeling better, it was after the game as he stood at the podium, addressing the media.
"We tried to throw at halftime and it progressively got better. It feels better now, but during the course of the game, I just couldn't get enough effectiveness with my grip and power to be able to help my team," he said.
Asked if the injury could have occurred on a different play earlier in the game, or even on that same drive, White said it was definitely a possibility. There was one play where White's forearm connected with a defender's outstretched hand in the replay shown on the Thursday Night Football broadcast.
"I have to look at the film and discuss with the doctors," White explained. "That could be possible.”
The touchdown pass to Moore was the fifth of his career, all in a span of 12 days. White came off the bench against the Patriots when rookie Zach Wilson went down with a knee injury before making his first career start last Sunday, dominating the Bengals with 405 passing yards.
That in mind, there was some added excitement on Thursday as NFL fans tuned in to watch the 26-year-old go to work. White admitted that the injury was particularly frustrating, keeping him from contributing when he had an opportunity for more playing time.
"You get your opportunities and you want to take advantage of them," White said. "In the limited amount of snaps I did get to play tonight, I thought I played really well and I was happy with how the offense did when I was in there."
White's replacement, third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, ended up having a special performance of his own. The journeyman threw for 317 yards with three touchdowns, leading a comeback that cut New York's deficit from 32 points down to just 15.
Even if the injury stings for White and the Jets, the quarterback made it clear that this is nothing more than bump in the road. This former fifth-rounder has faced far more adversity over the course of his athletic career to this point.
"It's not the end of the road by any means," White added. "It's not some season-ending injury. I will be fine and I'll be able to play if my number gets called again."
Since Wilson will likely need to miss another week as he recuperates from his PCL sprain, White is in line to start against the Bills weekend, if healthy. It's early, and White will be evaluated in the coming days, but head coach Robert Saleh seemed confident about his QB's status.
"We feel good about him getting healthy again and being ready for next week,” Saleh said.
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Jets Country and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
