For the third time in 4 seasons, the Jets will flip to their backup quarterback for a begin earlier than October even arrives.
Justin Fields, who sustained a concussion Sunday, was dominated out for the Week 3 sport by Jets head coach Aaron Glenn on Wednesday — that means that Tyrod Taylor will make his first begin since 2023 when Gang Inexperienced face the Buccaneers in Tampa.
Fields is within the league’s five-step concussion protocol, however when requested if the short determination on his standing revolved round a scarcity of development, Glenn mentioned, “Properly I don’t need to say that. I simply know the way this stuff are, and simply to my data, this week, he’ll be out.”
Fields exited Sunday’s sport early after finishing simply 3 of his 11 passes for 27 yards and taking a step again following a formidable Jets debut.
On a third-and-10 early within the fourth quarter, he was pursued by Payments defensive finish Joey Bosa and hit his head on the MetLife Stadium turf on the finish of the play.
So with Gang Inexperienced attempting to keep away from an 0-3 opening act, Taylor — who has began 59 regular-season and playoff video games throughout his 15-year profession — will make his first begin since filling in 5 occasions in 2023 with the Giants, although he downplayed the concept that the stakes add any further stress.
“We all know we’re going through an excellent group,” Taylor mentioned, “however I’ve all the idea and religion within the guys on this locker room that we are able to get the job carried out.”
Taylor has constructed his NFL profession round fluctuating between beginning and sitting behind different signal-callers — he hung out with the Ravens, Payments, Giants, Chargers, Texans and Browns earlier than the Jets — however when he entered the league as a sixth-round decide in 2011, the position was new.
He by no means waited to play in highschool. By no means wanted to attend at Virginia Tech, both.
However as a rookie, he challenged himself to organize the identical approach every week and constructed a basis for maximizing any alternative that materialized.
“Clearly, you need to be on the market enjoying, however there’s different methods you possibly can have an effect on the group in a constructive approach,” Taylor mentioned. “And as I sit and wait my time for the chance to current itself, I can’t be a foul teammate. I can’t sulk in what-if or what ought to occur. The truth of it’s that I should be within the second.”
After signing a two-year deal final 12 months, he by no means had a lot of an opportunity to contribute throughout his first season with the Jets.
Taylor appeared in two video games in 2024 because the backup to Aaron Rodgers and settled into the backup position once more after Fields inked his two-year, $40 million deal within the offseason.
He missed a bit of time in coaching camp this summer season — in addition to the whole preseason — after present process arthroscopic knee surgical procedure in August, however Taylor continued to log psychological reps in conferences with the opposite quarterbacks and the teaching workers as he realized his newest system.
Regardless of the process, he solely spent someday away from the Florham Park facility, and “he has over 14 years of reps,” Glenn mentioned.
“So he’s not new to this,” he added.
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Fields’ absence will mark the most recent occasion of the Jets being pressured to pivot to their backup quarterback early within the season.
Zach Wilson suffered a torn meniscus and bone bruise in his proper knee throughout a 2022 preseason sport that stored him out for the primary three video games. Then Rodgers famously tore his Achilles simply 4 offensive snaps into the 2023 season, requiring Wilson to step again into the beginning position.
And now, for one week, Taylor — who Sauce Gardner known as “The Hooper” and “a baller” due to his means to direct the offense down the sphere — will probably be tasked with attempting to stabilize an offense that flashed potential in Week 1, when it compiled 394 yards, after which produced loads of causes to fret throughout a 154-yard dud one week later.
“There’s a component inside him that we even have in Justin that I like loads,” Glenn mentioned, “and the truth that he’s been on this league for a very long time, there’s no protection, there’s no stress that he hasn’t seen.
“There’s no higher participant that you really want as a backup quarterback than him at this time limit.”
