With the Jets off to a league-worst 0-7 start, owner Woody Johnson made it known on Tuesday that he was unhappy with quarterback Justin Fields‘ performance. Johnson’s scathing remarks may have helped pave the way for a QB change this week, but he’ll have to wait at least one more game.

The Jets have ruled backup Tyrod Taylor out for Week 8 against the Bengals with a knee injury, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports. Fields will start in Cincinnati, while undrafted rookie Brady Cook will serve as his backup.

Fields has yet to throw an interception this season, the first of a two-year, $40MM contract, but the former Bear and Steeler has been at the helm of an offense that has averaged just 18.4 points per game. He has combined for seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) and completed 63.7% of passes for 845 yards.

As always, Fields has been a threat on the ground, having racked up 257 yards on 42 rushing attempts (6.1 yards per carry). That hasn’t been enough to produce a Jets victory in 2025.

With their offense unable to generate much in a 13-6 loss to the Panthers last week, rookie head coach Aaron Glenn pulled Fields in favor of Taylor. He hardly lit it up (10 of 22 for 126 yards and two picks), but the Jets were nonetheless expected to turn to Taylor on Sunday.

Glenn appeared likely to make his QB decision public closer to game time, but Taylor’s injury has forced the Jets’ hand early. Taylor, who was limited in practice all week, said he suffered the injury on “a helmet shot to the knee last game.” The 36-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in August, which sidelined him for the entire preseason.

Barring a stellar performance from Fields in Week 8, and depending on the severity of Taylor’s injury, Glenn will likely face the same questions about the QB position after Sunday’s game. With the Jets on a bye next week, he’ll have extra time to make a decision on a starter for their game against the Browns on Nov. 9.

After Jets owner Woody Johnson made remarks following the team’s latest loss criticizing the play of starting quarterback Justin Fields, there was plenty of speculation that the team could be close to demoting him from his starting role. According to the latest from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, most people believe that veteran Tyrod Taylor will be starting for New York this weekend.

Fields’ boom or bust performances this season have been dramatic in their dichotomy. In three strong performances, Fields has averaged 294 yards and three touchdowns when combining passing and rushing stats. In three poor performances, two of which contained early exits, Fields has averaged 73 combined yards with no scores.

Fields has done an impressive job of limiting turnovers — something he’s struggled with in the past — despite being on pace to get sacked a career-high number of times this season. He’s yet to throw an interception but has lost two of three fumbles. The most important stat — the one that has team ownership taking shots at him to reporters — is that over six starts to open the season, Fields has yet to win a game with the Green & White.

To be fair, neither has Taylor. In his lone start and in the times he’s spelled Fields after early exits, Taylor hasn’t seen much more success than Fields. But he also hasn’t been working with the first-team offense, something that changed this week as the two split reps on the first team. Taylor has seen more success than Fields elsewhere in his career, though.

While Fields career outside of a six-game run as an injury replacement for the Steelers has seen losing stints with the Bears and Jets, Taylor has seen winning campaigns — and even a Pro Bowl campaign — in his years of experience. The only problem is that this came during his three-year stretch with the Bills — the only years in which he was ever a full-time starter — that took place eight years ago.

At this point, it’s difficult to say which passer gives New York the best chance at earning its first win: the obviously struggling Fields or the 36-year-old Taylor. In fact, nothing has been announced as to who will start for Gang Green this weekend. Rapoport posits that rookie head coach Aaron Glenn is, perhaps, purposely shrouding what his decision will be on Sunday, in order to give his opponents as little information to prepare with as possible as he seeks any advantage in an attempt to win for the first time as an NFL head coach.

It looks like Glenn will keep his cards close to the chest, making this a game-time decision. Rapoport has called out the first-year coach’s poker face, though, voicing many people’s belief that Taylor will replace Fields as the starter on Sunday.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.