Fans hoping for a quarterback shake-up with the Jets will need to hold off for now.
Tyrod Taylor has been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup against the Bengals due to a knee injury. He will not accompany the team to Cincinnati.
Justin Fields is set to start in his place, with rookie Brady Cook stepping in as the backup.
Throughout the week, Jets coach Aaron Glenn maintained some secrecy regarding the quarterback situation, sidestepping a direct question about whether Fields or Taylor would take the field.
It seems Taylor’s injury is more significant than the Jets initially indicated.
Despite limited practice this week, Glenn didn’t express any worry about Taylor’s chances of playing. On Friday, the Jets had him listed as questionable, and Glenn mentioned him alongside other injured players, noting, “I really like what they’re doing.”
Having undergone knee surgery over the summer, Taylor missed a chunk of training camp. He indicated the recent knee issue is the same one that became a problem against the Panthers.
“I bumped my knee with my helmet in the last game,” Taylor said on Thursday. “I’m just following my trainers and taking it day by day. They’ve been really helpful in my rehab, getting me back to good movement.”
It’s uncertain if the Jets would have turned to Taylor this week if he had been healthy enough to play. Glenn had benched Fields at halftime during last week’s 13-6 loss to the Panthers, where Taylor struggled to bring the Jets into the end zone and ended up with two interceptions.
Even with a tough second half, it seemed like the Jets were inclined to go with Taylor this week, considering Fields’ recent struggles. The Jets haven’t scored a first-half touchdown since their Week 1 loss to the Steelers.
Jets owner Woody Johnson stirred the pot further regarding Fields’ performance, criticizing the quarterback play at an NFL owners meeting on Tuesday.
Fields had a tough outing against Carolina, completing 6-of-12 passes for just 46 yards and getting sacked three times.
This followed a challenging game against the Broncos in London, where he was sacked nine times, contributing to the Jets’ franchise-low of net passing yards—something like -10 yards.
The Jets had signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract, with $30 million guaranteed, hoping he’d be able to revitalize his career as a former first-round pick joining a new team.
He performed decently against the Steelers in Week 1, though hasn’t managed to replicate that success since, having missed one game due to a concussion.
Overall, Fields has completed 86-of-135 passes (63.7 percent) for 845 yards and four touchdowns so far, without throwing any interceptions. He’s also rushed 42 times for 257 yards and three touchdowns.
This Sunday, the Jets will take on a Bengals defense that currently ranks near the bottom of the league for yards and points allowed. After this game, the Jets will have a bye week before they return home to play the Browns.
