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 — which 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 fast determination on his standing revolved round an absence of development, Glenn mentioned, “Nicely I don’t wish 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 powerful 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 making an attempt 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 the stakes add any additional strain.
“We all know we’re dealing with an excellent staff,” Taylor mentioned, “however I’ve all the assumption and religion within the guys on this locker room that we are able to get the job accomplished.”
Taylor has constructed his NFL profession round fluctuating between beginning and sitting behind different signal-callers — he frolicked with the Ravens, Payments, Giants, Chargers, Texans and Browns earlier than the Jets — however when he entered the league as a sixth-round choose 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 wish to be on the market taking part in, however there’s different methods you possibly can have an effect on the staff in a optimistic approach,” Taylor mentioned. “And as I sit and wait my time for the chance to current itself, I can’t be a nasty teammate. I can’t sulk in what-if or what ought to occur. The truth of it’s that I have to be within the second.”
After signing a two-year deal final yr, 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 time — 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 sooner or later 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.
make each NFL sport repay
Underdog is the place soccer followers grow to be winners.
Straightforward participant picks
No season-long commitments
Actual prizes each single night time
Use promo code NYPOST5 to get $50 in web site credit while you play $5!
Fields’ absence will mark the newest 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 saved 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 potential to direct the offense down the sector — might be tasked with making an attempt 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 quite a bit,” Glenn mentioned, “and the truth that he’s been on this league for a very long time, there’s no protection, there’s no strain that he hasn’t seen.
“There’s no higher participant that you really want as a backup quarterback than him at this cut-off date.”
