Jets coach Robert Saleh and his staff still trying to figure out who to play in last preseason game

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."

The Jets created an Athletic Care and Performance Department that focuses on improving the players’ health, nutrition and training. They likely will have input as well.

No one wants to see any key and valuable players get hurt in this game. The Jets have already had their share of that during training camp.

The Jets lost starting edge rusher Carl Lawson for the season with a ruptured Achilles he suffered in a joint practice with the Packers last week. He was their main offseason signing and was going to be a huge part of their defense.

Starting linebacker Jarrad Davis is out roughly two months after badly spraining his ankle in last week’s preseason game in Green Bay. Versatile backup offensive lineman Conor McDermott also suffered a serious leg injury that game.

Saleh said those two were "freak injuries" and not "a result of whether you’re working or not." Still, the overall health of the team could have a big impact on how much Wilson plays.

Wilson won’t have the projected starting offensive line protecting him against Philadelphia.

Left tackle Mekhi Becton is in the concussion protocol from a helmet-to-helmet collision in Tuesday’s practice. Left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker isn’t expected to play after returning Tuesday from a three-week absence due to a pec strain. The Jets likely would play George Fant at tackle and Dan Feeney at guard.

"I’m sure, eventually, with all of the performance staffs that are being implemented," Saleh said, "there’s going to be a really cool formula in how to approach these three games in this preseason and with the advent of science and all that . . . We trust the way we’re going about things."