Jets QBs Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor Splitting Practice Reps
Week 7 saw the Jets make a halftime change at the quarterback spot. Since then, owner Woody Johnson has offered a scathing evaluation of Justin Fields‘ play during his debut campaign in New York. 
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In the wake of those comments, the expectation has emerged Tyrod Taylor will take over starting duties on a permanent basis. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but the team is certainly operating as though a change in the depth chart will take place in time for Week 8. Fields said (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he and Taylor split first-team reps during practice on Wednesday.
Taylor’s second-half performance against the Panthers saw him complete just 10 of 22 passes for 126 scoreless yards. The 36-year-old also threw a pair of interceptions. The Jets will need better play from under center regardless of who handles starting duties moving forward. Taylor is a pending free agent, whereas Fields inked a deal in March which runs through the 2026 season and contains $30MM in guarantees.
When speaking to the media about the quarterback situation (video link via SNY), head coach Aaron Glenn said a decision has been made with respect to the Jets’ Week 8 starter. It has not been announced, though, meaning speculation about the team’s direction will continue over the coming days. The Jets have a top-10 rushing offense this season but they rank last in the NFL in passing yards per game. Finding a better balance on offense will be key to ending the team’s seven-game losing streak.
Provided New York moves forward with Taylor, questions will be raised about Fields’ chances of operating as a QB1 again in the NFL. The former Bears first-rounder went 4-2 as a starter with the Steelers last season, indicating he could find success on his third career team. That has not proven to be the case so far, and Fields’ first campaign in New York could soon include a backup spell.
Woody Johnson Criticizes Justin Fields’ Play; Jets Close To Naming Tyrod Taylor Starter
The Jets had taken the rookie route during most of their time between Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, deviating only during the Ryan Fitzpatrick–Josh McCown years ahead of the Sam Darnold pick. Now, they have turned to back-to-back veterans, with Justin Fields succeeding Rodgers.
As Rodgers has bounced back in Pittsburgh, Fields is floundering in New York. The Jets pried Fields from a Steelers team interested in re-signing him, handing out a two-year deal worth $40MM ($30MM guaranteed at signing). Outfitting the shaky passer with a top-heavy pass-catching corps, the Jets have received poor play. Woody Johnson is among those concerned about the quarterback.
“It looks like (Aaron Glenn) is turning around part of it,” Johnson said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy). “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. He has the ability, but something is not jiving. If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you are going to similar results across the league. You have to play consistently at that position and that’s what we’re going to try to do.
“… If we could just complete a pass, it would look good. You have to convince them that you can do something, otherwise it’s hard to have a game that you can win.”
No stranger to throwing his weight around, Johnson endorsing Glenn (while making pointed criticism about his new regime’s QB choice) is notable. The recent firings of Urban Meyer, Nathaniel Hackett and Frank Reich during their first seasons shows teams have been willing to cut the cord early if an operation skids far off track. A GM informed the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora he could see Johnson making another impulsive move and firing Glenn during or after his first season in charge. Johnson, however, called Glenn “the real deal” when speaking to media (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) today.
A former standout Jets cornerback who became a hot coaching commodity this offseason, Glenn has steered the team to an 0-7 mark. Although the Lions were on a similar path to open the 2021 season — Glenn’s first year as Detroit’s DC — that team did not have the defensive talent the current Jets squad does. Despite working with Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams, Will McDonald and the recently re-signed Jamien Sherwood, Glenn has the Jets’ defense sitting 26th in scoring and 27th in EPA per play. While New York does sit 16th in yardage (an improvement over last season’s 20th-place ranking), the team has disappointed in just about every facet this year.
Glenn will be given more time to turn this around, but he will need to make a quarterback decision after benching Fields in Week 7 and not committing to starting him in Week 8. Fields sits 31st in QBR; among current starters, only Cam Ward is worse. Never viewed as a particularly accurate passer, Fields had been tabbed to pilot an offense featuring little in terms of aerial weaponry outside of Garrett Wilson. The recently extended wideout is now injured, and the team predictably sputtered without its top weapon.
Glenn benched Fields a week after he took nine sacks and threw for just 45 yards in a loss to the Broncos, and the demotion — one the HC dismissed after the London loss — appears close to being a long-term plan. The first-year HC is moving toward Tyrod Taylor as the team’s Week 8 starter, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports.
Taylor has only been given starts due to injuries over the past four seasons. Although he opened the 2018, ’20 and ’21 campaigns as a starter (in Cleveland, Los Angeles and Houston), he sat behind the likes of Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito (for a stretch in 2023) and Rodgers since. The 15th-year QB is in the second season of a two-year, $12MM deal — one the Jets handed out after they did not add a veteran to backstop Rodgers in 2023.
This would move Taylor’s start count to 60. The former three-year Bills starter has plenty of experience filling in, but a benching of this sort would be much more relevant for Fields, who had commanded considerable interest as a free agent. The Steelers preferred he and Matthew Stafford to Rodgers, but after they parked Fields near midseason (as Russell Wilson recovered from a calf injury), the 2021 first-rounder became more open to looking elsewhere. He found a taker in the Jets, but the results have proven wildly disappointing.
With Johnson making these comments, the coaching staff’s relationship with its handpicked starter may need some mending. Though, the Jets have more obstacles to overcome than worrying about a struggling QB’s mindset.
Whether this will be a short-term reset or the Jets admitting a mistake early, Johnson saying (via Cimini) the QB call is “completely up to the coach” will apply some heat on Glenn. GM Darren Mougey is also under the microscope considering how his first QB swing is going.
For now, Glenn is in good standing. But at 0-7, the rookie HC will need to show progress soon to avoid one-and-done rumors. It appears the coach is showing more faith in Taylor to help create that progress. By 2026, however, rumors figure to connect the Jets to an aggressive pursuit of another rookie option under center.
Jets Bench QB Justin Fields
10:05pm: When speaking after the game (video link), Glenn noted the quarterback change was aimed at sparking a turnaround in the second half. With no such momentum change taking place after Taylor took over, Glenn declined to commit to his Week 8 starter.
2:27pm: The first half of Sunday’s Jets-Panthers matchup produced another underwhelming outing on the part of New York’s offense. A change has now been made under center. 
Justin Fields handled starting duties for the first two quarters of today’s game. During that span, he completed just six of his 12 pass attempts for 46 scoreless yards. Fields was also sacked three times, bringing his total in that regard to 22 this season despite missing Week 3 with a concussion. Tyrod Taylor is now in the game.
On multiple occasions early in the campaign, head coach Aaron Glenn has offered public support for Fields. The free agent addition received an endorsement after last week’s poor showing, resulting in today’s start. It was recently reported, however, that Taylor has been supported by some in the Jets’ building dating back to training camp. For at least two quarters, the veteran will have the opportunity to earn future playing time.
Fields was unable to reach expectations as a first-round pick during his tenure with the Bears. In advance of selecting Caleb Williams first overall last spring, Chicago traded him to Pittsburgh; that swap was aimed at giving Fields a path to continue operating as a starter. Indeed, the 26-year-old handled the QB1 role early in the campaign until Russell Wilson was healthy. In a move which was not unanimous in the organization, the Steelers elected to keep Wilson atop the depth chart through the rest of the season.
Prior to eventually signing Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh showed interest in retaining Fields. Instead, the Ohio State product wound up inking a two-year pact with the Jets. That $40MM deal contains $30MM in guarantees, something which confirmed Fields’ status as the starter through the offseason. A major factor in New York’s 0-6 start was the play of the team’s offense, though. Fields has yet to throw an interception, but today’s benching will not come as much of a surprise given the extent to which he has not delivered on expectations in 2025.
Taylor is a pending free agent. The 36-year-old’s value on the open market will certainly change if he receives an extended look in the QB1 position through the remainder of the season. A decision on that front, of course, will be influenced by Taylor’s performance in the second half against Carolina.
Fields was one of the top quarterbacks in free agency this past spring based in large part on his age and rushing ability. The Jets – having released Rodgers shortly after the arrival of Glenn and first-year general manager Darren Mougey – signed him as a bridge option under center with questions still looming about a long-term solution. Fields could certainly be back in the lineup next week, but if not there is a chance today’s move will mark an end to his run as an NFL starter.
QB Tyrod Taylor Has Support In Jets’ Building
In the wake of the Jets’ latest loss and their highly ineffective performance on offense, head coach Aaron Glenn was asked about the possibility of a quarterback change. Justin Fields remains atop the depth chart for now, but there is not a consensus in the organization that is the right move.
SNY’s Connor Hughes reports “several” people within the locker room have expressed a position that Tyrod Taylor would be a better option at the quarterback spot than Fields. This sentiment dates back to training camp, per Hughes. No competition for the QB1 spot took place during the summer, with Fields landing the QB1 gig upon signing a two-year free agent deal.
That $40MM pact contains $30MM fully guaranteed. Considering that level of commitment, it comes as little surprise Fields has received a vote of confidence on more than one occasion despite New York’s 0-6 start. When speaking to the media on Monday, Glenn said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) he did not give thought to replacing Fields with Taylor during the team’s loss to the Broncos yesterday. Doing so could have helped create a quarterback controversy, something Glenn seeks to avoid.
Moving forward, it will be interesting to monitor how the Jets’ quarterback setup is handled. A continuation of the team’s losing streak – especially if Fields is unable to bounce back from his 45-yard, nine-sack showing on Sunday – will no doubt lead to an increase in calls for Taylor to take over. Pressure on that front could come from within the organization given the contingent which would have preferred Taylor begin the year atop the depth chart.
Fields, 26, offers upside with his rushing ability and has posted 204 yards and three touchdowns on the ground so far in his debut Jets campaign. The former first-rounder has also set new personal bests in a number of passing categories, albeit in a way which has not lent itself to much in the way of overall production on offense. New York ranks last in the NFL with an average of 175 passing yards per game, and the team sits 25th in scoring.
While Fields is under contract through 2026, Taylor is a pending free agent. The 36-year-old has made just one start so far in his Jets career (filling in for an injured Fields in Week 3), which dates back to last season. If at least some in the organization had their way, though, that figure would increase.
Jets QB Justin Fields Returns To Practice
Jets quarterback Justin Fields returned to practice on Thursday, per Brian Costello of the New York Post, but he is still in concussion protocol with four days to go until the team’s Week 4 matchup with the Dolphins.
Fields was knocked out of the game in Week 2 and missed Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. Backup Tyrod Taylor started in his stead and completed 26 of his 36 passes (72.6%), but only managed 5.5 yards per attempt. He also threw an interception that was returned by Jamel Dean for a touchdown. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed on Monday that Fields would remain the team’s starter once he cleared concussion protocol.
Fields impressed in his first start of the year, leading the Jets to 30 points against the Steelers, but went 3-for-11 in Week 2 before suffering his concussion in Week 2. A return to the field would be a boost to a New York offense that has been surprisingly effective to start the year with at least 27 points in two of their three games.
This weekend’s trip to Miami offers a major opportunity for Fields to bounce back from his Week 2 struggles. The Dolphins have allowed the most points and the second-most yards per passing attempt so far this year.
If Fields is unable to play, Taylor will start for the second week in a row with rookie Brady Cook likely receiving another practice squad elevation to serve as the backup.
Jets QB Justin Fields Suffers Concussion
The Jets fell to 0-2 on Sunday and they lost their starting quarterback in the process. Justin Fields is also in danger of missing New York’s Week 3 game.
Midway through Sunday’s loss against the Bills, Fields hit his head on the turf while being hit immediately after an incompletion. One play later, he was sacked. Fields was then taken to the medical tent for evaluation and brought to the locker room alongside the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant for further concussion tests.
After being evaluated, Fields was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Head coach Aaron Glenn has since confirmed the free agent addition is in the concussion protocol, per Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports. Players can sometimes progress through the protocol in time to suit up for the following game. It is far more common, however, for at least one contest to be missed while recovering.
As a result, there is a strong possibility Tyrod Taylor will be counted on to handle starting duties for New York in Week 3. It was Taylor that stepped in for Fields today. An abysmal day for Fields, in which he completed just three of 11 pass attempts for only 27 yards while rushing five times for 49 yards, put Taylor in a tough situation. In the two drives that the veteran was able to put together, it didn’t take much for Taylor to surpass Fields passing total and score the team’s only touchdown of the day, granted Buffalo’s defense probably featured more youth than usual at that point in the game.
The only other name on the team’s roster is practice squad rookie Brady Cook out of Missouri. Cook may get called up the backup Taylor if Fields can’t clear the protocol in time, but Taylor should be the only one we see play. Taylor lasted started a game in the 2023 season, when he won two of five starting opportunities with the Giants. His experience makes him the clear choice over Cook if Fields can’t go.
After home losses to the Steelers and Bills, things don’t get much easier for New York as they hit the road for back-to-back games in Florida against the Buccaneers and Dolphins. With the Jets set to play their third straight playoff team to open the season, hopes will be high that Fields can make it through the protocol in time to play. New York will have Taylor preparing as QB1 in the meantime.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Jets QB Tyrod Taylor Undergoes Knee Scope
The Jets’ quarterback depth will be limited through their remaining training camp practices and preseason games. Tyrod Taylor is recovering from a knee scope, head coach Aaron Glenn said on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini).
Taylor is set to miss the rest of the preseason while rehabbing, but the Jets are hopeful he will be able to recover in time for Week 1. The 36-year-old is slated to handle backup duties behind Justin Fields in 2025, the first season of the new regime featuring Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. That duo’s success will be closely tied to Fields and his ability to provide stable quarterback play over at least the near term.
In the event of injury or poor play on the former first-rounder’s part, though, Taylor will be counted on to step in. He has 94 regular season games and 58 starts to his name, including a pair of brief appearances with the Jets last season. Taylor’s ongoing presence as a high-floor insurance option through this offseason helped inform the team’s free agent approach under center, which as expected did not include a long-term commitment to any of the free agent options.
Fields himself suffered a health scare late last month, but his toe injury proved to be a minor one. SNY’s Connor Hughes recently noted how Fields was wearing a larger shoe on the affected foot, adding the ailment may have been a contributing factor to his less-than-stellar showings early in camp. Improved play over the coming weeks will be key, and it will be interesting to see how much (if at all) the former Bear and Steeler plays during New York’s two final preseason contests given Taylor’s absence.
The Jets also have a pair of undrafted free agents in the form of Adrian Martinez (2023) and Brady Cook (2025) at quarterback. It would come as no surprise if both were to see an increased workload in the coming days with Taylor on the mend. The play of Martinez and Cook will decide how New York proceeds with respect to the third QB spot ahead of final roster cuts at the end of the month.
In other injury news, Glenn noted receiver Allen Lazard is dealing with a shoulder injury. The 29-year-old is set to miss roughly two weeks as a result, meaning he too is in line to be sidelined for the remainder of the preseason. Lazard was seen as a trade candidate in the wake of Aaron Rodgers‘ Jets tenure coming to an end, but a pay cut was ultimately agreed to allowing him to remain in New York. A role in the passing game awaits upon his return to full health.
Jets QB Justin Fields Returns To Practice On Limited Basis
JULY 27: Fields took part in individual drills and 7-on-7 work on Saturday, per Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. The club’s new QB1 thrived in the 7-on-7 session, showing good mobility and completing all six of his passes, including one touchdown toss.
Fields did not take any 11-on-11 reps, and Glenn says the passer still has “a ways to go” before he returns to full participation. Still, a frightening situation is clearly trending in the right direction.
JULY 24, 9:30pm: Fields’ injury is not considered significant, Cimini reports. In spite of the relatively positive update, missed time should still in store. Per Vacchiano, Fields could be sidelined for a portion of training camp along with some or all of the preseason. Both follow-up reports indicate a return to full health in time for Week 1 is expected, and the team has since confirmed Fields is dealing with a dislocated toe, a much less severe ailment than some of the alternative outcomes.
10:07am: Jets quarterback Justin Fields was carted off the field this morning after suffering a dislocated toe during practice, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The severity of Fields’ injury remains unknown, but the Jets appear to have avoided a worst-case scenario with a toe injury rather than one to the knee or lower leg. Furthermore, the affected toe was not fractured, nor is it the big toe, per Rapoport.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) that he believes Fields’ toe was stepped on during a play. The 26-year-old quarterback is expected to undergo more tests to determine how long he will be sidelined.
Glenn expressed confidence in Fields’ backup, Tyrod Taylor, a journeyman quarterback who played for four different teams over the past five seasons.
“We have an outstanding backup in Tyrod, who’s been in this league for around 14 years,” said Glenn. “[With] the leadership he brings, we’re all good.” Glenn also noted that Taylor brings a similar skillset to Fields that will allow the Jets to continue developing their offense with minimal interruption.
“I don’t think there’s any drop-off as far as what we want to do in terms of play-calling,” continued Glenn (via FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano). “We’re all excited to have that guy here.”
That excitement won’t continue if Fields’ injury is more severe and he ends up sidelined for an extended period of time. It appears initially that the Jets have avoided major disaster, but further testing will provide a more definitive outlook.
Jets Eyeing Modest Free Agent QB Addition?
Aaron Rodgers is no longer in the Jets’ plans, and the timing of his release will likely come at the start of the new league year. By the time the first wave of free agency is underway, more clarity will no doubt be in place regarding the team’s intentions under center. 
As expected, the team’s new decision-makers (GM Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn) informed Rodgers they will move in a different direction for 2025. That leaves the door open to another veteran being signed to compete for the starting gig. A draft investment is of course still on the table, with a trade up to the No. 1 slot being something to watch. More realistically, though, a modest signing on the free agent market looks to be in the team’s plans.
Both SNY’s Connor Hughes and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required) write New York can be expected to pursue a middle-class option amongst the veteran quarterbacks set to be available in 2025. Former Jet Sam Darnold is the top name to watch at the position, but in terms of short-term investment options a number of other passers will be available. Pairing one of those with incumbent Tyrod Taylor would provide the Jets with a relatively stable floor in terms of QB play for next season.
Hughes and Rosenblatt both name Justin Fields and Carson Wentz as names to watch as it pertains to the Jets. The Steelers started Fields for the first six games of the 2024 campaign before benching him in favor of Russell Wilson. In spite of that decision, Pittsburgh is believed to prefer keeping the younger of the two signal-callers moving forward. If a reversal of that stance is to take place, the Jets will be one of the teams prepared to make Fields a strong offer on the open market.
Wentz’s last run as a starter came in 2022 with the Commanders. Since then, he has taken one-year backup deals with the Rams and Chiefs, making just five combined appearances in that span. The 32-year-old may welcome the chance to earn the staring gig on a pact with the Jets, but other destinations in a similar position will likely be available to him as well.
Hughes lists Marcus Mariota (who has been with four different teams in the past four years) as another potential target, while Rosenblatt adds that Kirk Cousins – should he be released by the Falcons – as a name to monitor. The latter could remain in place as Atlanta’s backup for 2025, something which would eliminate a notable option on the QB market. Taylor, meanwhile, has one year remaining on his pact and could boost his 2026 stock if he were to get the nod next season.
Adding a rookie at some point in April’s draft is something which is firmly receiving consideration by the Jets, per both reports. A move up to add Cam Ward would be quite pricey, but using Day 2 or 3 to add a developmental passer (not dissimilar to 2024 fifth-rounder Jordan Travis) would give the team another option for the future. With respect to the 2025 campaign, however, a major splash in free agency would come as a surprise at this point.
Jets Talk Of Cutting Aaron Rodgers Preceded HC-GM Hires; Team Likely To Add Veteran QB
Aaron Glenn has done his best to distance himself from the previous regime’s Aaron Rodgers experiment, making it known he would not cater to the former MVP like the Joe Douglas–Robert Saleh duo did. Shortly after Glenn’s hire, the Jets announced Rodgers would be jettisoned.
This had been the expected course of action, though a report had circulated indicating the new Jets HC and Rodgers were potentially OK working together for another season. On that note, Bovada’s Josina Anderson notes internal talk about the team wanting to end the Rodgers partnership had started at least a week before the hires of Glenn and GM Darren Mougey. This comes after a host of reports of Johnson meddling and after the owner said he would leave the decision to Glenn and Mougey.
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Such a push would point to ownership driving that point, and it would not be a surprise if Woody Johnson indeed made that clear. Reports of Johnson and Rodgers not getting along had surfaced months ago. They involved Nathaniel Hackett‘s position and bled into the 2024 season, when Johnson was believed to have called for Rodgers’ benching on multiple occasions. After a failed experiment, the Jets will be done with the declining (but still capable) veteran and moving into uncertain territory at quarterback.
As it became clear Glenn and Mougey would start fresh at quarterback, a report indicated the team discussed Rodgers’ appearances on the Pat McAfee Show. Those weekly segments generated regular headlines, some of which Jets brass had to address. In what turned out to be a Rodgers exit meeting, Mougey said (via ESPN’s Kimberley Martin) no ultimatum was issued to the polarizing quarterback regarding his off-field schedule. Rodgers also took heat for skipping Jets mandatory minicamp, forcing Saleh to declare it an unexcused absence, but Anderson adds Jets players largely did not care that he missed the June workouts. Nevertheless, Rodgers is gone after a 5-12 season. He is tentatively expected to play in 2025.
With Rodgers destined to become a post-June 1 cut — which means he be will off the roster on March 12, when the 2025 league year begins — the Jets still have Tyrod Taylor on the roster. Mougey praised Taylor, but it does not sound like the nomadic QB’s roster spot is secure, as the new front office boss pegged it at too early to determine that component. The Jets have Taylor tied to a $6MM 2025 base salary. Due to void years being on Taylor’s deal, the team would be tagged with $5.7MM in dead money if it releases him. Still, the Jets should be expected to add a veteran soon, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini.
A report earlier this month indicated the Jets could pair a veteran passer with a rookie. Holding the No. 7 pick in a draft that both features a few QB-needy teams above them and a short supply of QB prospects, the Jets are not in a great place to add an heir apparent.
Barring an unlikely Sam Darnold return, the team also is moving on from probably the most talented option in Rodgers. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, depending on how the Steelers proceed before March 10, could be in play. Ditto Kirk Cousins, whom the team aggressive pursued during his 2018 free agency. Bridge types like Jacoby Brissett, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will be available as well.
It would seem likely the Jets will have a less talented quarterback than Rodgers leading their depth chart in 2025. While the organization may need a multiyear plan here, it will be interesting to see how the Glenn-Mougey regime picks up the pieces ahead of this coming season.