The New York Jets will start Tyrod Taylor at quarterback over Justin Fields on Sunday at Baltimore, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
The move Monday by coach Aaron Glenn sends the embattled Fields to the sideline for the Jets (2-8), who are coming off a 27-14 loss at New England last Thursday night.
Glenn said last week he would evaluate all positions over the weekend, leaving the door open for a change at quarterback. And he decided to make the switch to Taylor, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the move.
The Athletic first reported that the Jets were benching Fields in favor of Taylor.
Fields’ subpar play has been a major reason for the struggles of the passing offense, which ranks last in the NFL with 139.9 yards per game — 20 fewer than 31st-ranked Cleveland.
Fields was 15 of 26 for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots, but he had only 23 yards passing at halftime. Dropped passes, including two by Adonai Mitchell in his Jets debut, contributed to the lack of production. That performance came after Fields was 6 of 11 for just 54 yards with a TD and an interception in New York’s 27-20 win over Cleveland.
Glenn, who was not scheduled to speak to reporters again until Wednesday, has been tight-lipped on his quarterback situation and refused the last few weeks to announce who his starter would be.
It appeared likely the 26-year-old Taylor would take over under center against Cincinnati on Oct. 26, but the veteran backup was ruled out with a knee injury and didn't travel with the team. Instead, Fields thrived after what he said was an “emotional” week by leading the Jets to their first win of the season, 39-38 against the Bengals.
He was 21 of 32 for 244 yards and a touchdown in that victory, along with 31 yards on 11 rushes. He also threw a pass and had a run for 2-point conversions. The Jets hoped that was a turning point-type game for Fields.
But the struggles reappeared in the next two games — and the calls from frustrated fans to bench Fields grew louder. Glenn said last Friday that Fields did some good things at New England but also acknowledged he missed a few opportunities to make plays.
“I think you hear that quite a bit when you get these quarterback changes is, ‘Man, I’m trying to get a spark for the team,’” Glenn said. “But to me, it’s more or less, man, I’m trying to make the best decision to give our guys a chance to win because to me, a spark is really a short-term deal. And I don’t know if this is what other coaches’ decisions are, but, man, I want to make a decision to give us a chance to win.”
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