Saleh, staff still trying to figure out who to play in preseason finale

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Robert Saleh has been preaching “All Gas, No Brake” from the moment he became the Jets coach, and he’s hesitant about taking his foot off the pedal now.

Saleh said he’s “leaning towards” playing a rookie quarterback and many of the starters on both sides of the ball against the Eagles in Friday’s third and final preseason game at Metlife Stadium.

“We got a ridiculously young team, and they are growing and learning, and all of these experiences are so important to them,” Saleh said. “I feel like they’ve gotten so much better from the first day of camp until now and to pull off now, I think we’d be doing them an injustice.”

Saleh, a first-time NFL head coach, believes every rep is important, especially game reps and especially for this young group. The Jets could start nine rookies or second-year players in their Week 1 game in Carolina.

There were still some discussions that needed to take place before a formal and final decision was made on how to handle the Jets’ last dress rehearsal before they open the season on Sept. 12. If Saleh plays quarterback Zach Wilson and other starters on Friday, it would be for no more than a half.

Since the NFL expanded to a 17-game schedule this season, they cut the preseason from four games to three. The fourth preseason game was usually when teams played backups and players on the bubble of making the final roster or being cut.

Teams are approaching this preseason differently. Some teams are not playing their starting quarterbacks at all this preseason. Many of them are playing their starters less than previous years.

It’s led to some healthy debates with Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas and other decision makers within the Jets.

“Joe and I were talking about that [Tuesday],” Saleh said. “Half the league isn’t playing anyone and the other half is playing them. Then there’s young coaches not playing anybody, but then the veteran coaches like [Bill] Belichick, [Mike] Tomlin and Andy Reid are playing their guys and it’s like, ‘Well, what’s right?’

“It’ll be a great case study over the next five years to see how these play out.”