The New York Jets’ quarterback mystery is no more.
After weeks of pushing back against questions of whether he would opt for a change behind center, Jets coach Aaron Glenn is benching Justin Fields for veteran Tyrod Taylor, according to multiple reports.
New York will face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
The move comes on the heels of a 27-14 loss to the New England Patriots last Thursday that dropped the Jets to 2-8 on the season. Fields threw for just 116 yards on 15-of-26 passing. It marked the fourth time in the last five games that he finished with less than 200 passing yards and a completion rate below 60%.
Through Week 11, the Jets rank last in the NFL in passing yards per game (139.9) and sack rate allowed (11.6%).
For weeks, Glenn has resisted all inquiries into the possibility of a quarterback change, saying that not divulging his plans conveys a competitive advantage. On Nov. 14, however, he seemed to open the door for a swap.
“You know what? I’m evaluating everything, to be honest with you,” Glenn said. “I’m evaluating myself, the players, schematics, coaches, I’m evaluating everything. So, I don’t want to just place everything on that, that one situation. I’m just looking at everything, because as a head coach, that’s my job, to make sure that I put this team in the best position to go win games.”
While coming to Glenn’s defense in accounting for the team’s struggles, Johnson told reporters in New York for the league’s fall meeting, ‘It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he’s got. I mean, (Fields) has ability, but something just is not jibing. … You have to play consistently at that position, and that’s what we’re going to try to do for the remainder of the season.’
Fields has a 89.5 passer rating on the season, ranking 25th among qualified players after last Thursday’s game. His tendency to hold onto the ball has been a frequent talking point, with both the quarterback and Glenn pushing back against the criticisms of his playing style. But Fields, who has taken 27 sacks on the season, acknowledged last month that he was playing ‘a little bit too conservative.’
Added Johnson last month: ‘The offense is just not clicking. You can’t run the ball if you can’t pass the ball. That’s football 101.’
Fields shrugged off Johnson’s pointed words.
‘I’m not sure how he feels about the situation at all, but, I mean, I don’t have any plans going up to press him about what he said,’ Fields said last month. ‘Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. That’s just what it is, but you just have a choice or not whether those opinions affect you or not.’
Justin Fields stats
Completions: 128
Passing attempts: 204
Completion rate: 62.7%
Passing yards: 1,259
Touchdown passes: 7
Interceptions: 1
Rushing attempts: 71
Rushing yards: 383
Rushing touchdowns: 4
Tyrod Taylor’s turn
Taylor, 36, started for the Jets in a 29-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3 when Fields was sidelined by a concussion. The 15-year veteran helped New York mount a 21-point rally in the fourth quarter, but he lost a fumble and threw a pick-six to put the team in an early hole.