The winless New York Jets could be without starting quarterback Justin Fields in their Week 3 game at Tampa Bay, and head coach Aaron Glenn said Monday that veteran Tyrod Taylor will be ready to play.
Fields entered concussion protocol on Sunday after New York’s 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He was injured in the opening minute of the fourth quarter when he was smacked by Buffalo pass rusher Joey Bosa after throwing an incomplete pass. Fields’ head hit the turf as he landed but remained in the game for one more play and Bosa sacked Fields, causing a fumble.
The Jets (0-2) recovered the fumble but then had to punt and turned to Taylor with Fields ruled out.
Taylor replaced Fields and completed 7 of 11 passes for 56 yards and New York’s lone touchdown. Taylor had 21 yards on three carries.
Fields will need to clear protocol before he can play again, necessitating the uptick in preparation for Taylor.
“We have to get more information so we can be more pinpointed on that, but we do have to look at it that way,” Glenn said. “If Justin can’t play, then Tyrod would be the guy, and we’d build a plan that’s suitable for him.”
Fields was just 3-for-11 passing for 27 yards before departing. He had 49 yards on five rushes.
Glenn said he doesn’t favor starting Fields if he can’t practice Wednesday and Thursday.
Taylor, 36, was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He is in his second season with the Jets — his seventh team — and took just 36 snaps in 2024 behind starter Aaron Rodgers. His last start came in 2023 with the New York Giants.
He has appeared in 95 games and is 28-28-1 as a starter. He has completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 12,310 yards with 69 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.
The Chicago Bears selected Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 draft. He spent three seasons in Chicago and one with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with the Jets as a free agent in the offseason.
The 26-year-old is 14-32 as a starter and has thrown for 8,025 yards with 46 TDs and 31 interceptions.
