Those clamoring for a quarterback change from the Jets will have to wait.
Tyrod Taylor has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Bengals due to a knee injury, according to a source. He will not travel with the team to Cincinnati.
Justin Fields will start against the Bengals, the source said. Rookie Brady Cook will serve as the backup.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn has kept the quarterback decision a mystery all week, declining to answer reporters’ questions about whether Fields or Taylor would start.
It’s clear now that Taylor’s injury was more serious than the Jets let on.
He was limited in practice all week, but Glenn did not say he was concerned about Taylor’s availability for the game. The Jets listed Taylor as questionable on Friday and Glenn mentioned Taylor among a group of injured players he said, “I really like the way these guys are trending.”
Taylor had knee surgery this summer and missed most of training camp. Taylor said this was the same knee, and it flared up against the Panthers.
“I took a helmet shot to the knee last game,” Taylor said Thursday. “Yeah, just taking it day-by-day, listening to the trainers. They’ve done a great job of putting me through rehab and getting just good mobility back into it.”
It’s unclear whether the Jets would have turned to Taylor this week if he were healthy enough to play. Glenn benched Fields at halftime of last week’s 13-6 loss to the Panthers. Taylor was unable to get the Jets into the end zone and threw two interceptions.
Despite that shaky second half, it felt like the Jets would turn to Taylor this week. Fields has struggled mightily in recent weeks, and the Jets have not scored a first-half touchdown since their Week 1 loss to the Steelers.
Jets owner Woody Johnson added to the speculation that the Jets would bench Fields on Tuesday when he was critical of the team’s quarterback play at the NFL owners meetings.
Fields was 6-of-12 for 46 yards last week against Carolina. He was sacked three times.
That followed a performance in London against the Broncos when he was sacked nine times and often held the ball too long. The Jets had a franchise-worst minus-10 net passing yards in that game.
The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract with $30 million guaranteed in March, hoping he could be the latest former first-round pick to revive his career with a new team.
Fields played well against the Steelers in Week 1 but has not played well since. He missed one game with a concussion.
Fields has completed 86-of-135 passes (63.7 percent) for 845 yards and four touchdowns. He has yet to throw an interception. He has run the ball 42 times for 257 yards and three touchdowns.
The Jets face a Bengals defense Sunday that is 31st in the league in yards and points allowed. The Jets have a bye next week before a home game against the Browns.
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