The Jets are making a change at quarterback. Tyrod Taylor will start over Justin Fields in Week 12 against the Ravens, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.
The Jets signed Fields, previously with the Bears and Steelers, to a two-year, $40MM contract last offseason. The previous first-round pick got off to a solid start in a Week 1 loss to the Steelers, but his production has nosedived since then.
Owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized Fields’ performance after a Week 7 loss to the Panthers. Expectations were that Taylor would take over within the wake of Johnson’s scathing remarks, but a knee injury temporarily prevented that from happening.
At 0-7 when Johnson called out Fields, the Jets proceeded to win back-to-back games. Fields threw for 244 yards in a 39-38 victory over the Bengals. He managed just 54 in a 27-20 win over the Browns the subsequent week, though an incredible special teams showing helped make up for it.
Despite the fact that Fields finally strung together a few wins, last Thursday’s outing was enough to persuade first-year head coach Aaron Glenn to go in one other direction. In a 27-14 loss to the AFC East rival Patriots, Fields went 15 of 26 for 116 yards and a touchdown. As has typically been the case, the mobile Fields was more impressive on the bottom, totaling 67 yards and a TD on 11 rushes.
Fields will head to the bench with a 62.7% completion rate, 1,259 yards (6.2 YPA), seven TDs, and an interception through nine games. He has added 383 more yards (5.4 per carry) and 4 TDs as a runner, but his 37.7 QBR ranks thirtieth within the NFL. The Jets are last within the league in passing and twenty fifth in scoring.
No matter whether Fields plays again this 12 months, the Jets could have to find out his future within the offseason. He’s owed a guaranteed $10MM in 2026, and releasing him would add $22MM in dead cap. They’re already on the hook for $35MM in dead money for next 12 months after releasing Fields’ predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, last offseason.
Now that he’s taking up for Fields, Taylor will face the Ravens 14 years after he began his profession with them as a 2011 sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech. The 36-year-old has appeared in games with six other teams since then. Taylor made one start earlier this 12 months, a Week 3 loss to the Buccaneers, while filling in for an injured Fields. He has accomplished 62.3% of passes for 379 yards, three TDs, and three INTs in three appearances this season.