Rich CiminiOct 25, 2025, 01:21 PM ET
- Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.
The New York Jets' quarterback situation took a wild turn Saturday as Tyrod Taylor was ruled out with a knee injury.
It means Justin Fields will start Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Fields, publicly criticized by owner Woody Johnson only four days ago, was thought to be in danger of losing his job.
Glenn was leaning toward Taylor early in the week, sources said. He declined to announce his starter, saying he wanted to use the uncertainty as a competitive advantage.
Taylor, who said he took a helmet to his surgically repaired knee last week in relief of Fields, practiced all week on a limited basis, per the injury report. On Thursday, Taylor indicated that he felt well enough to play, but that he was still receiving treatment. He missed training camp due to arthroscopic knee surgery
On Friday, Taylor was listed as questionable. Glenn gave no indication that Taylor was in jeopardy is missing the game. He said all players listed as questionable were trending in a positive direction with regard to game availability. They split the practice reps, both players said.
Taylor didn't make the trip to Cincinnati, meaning rookie Brady Cook will be the backup.
This means the Jets (0-7), who have gone two games without a touchdown, must continue with Fields.
For months, Glenn has been steadfast in his support of Fields, even after minus-10 net passing yards in a Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos. The first crack in the coach's confidence came last Sunday, when he pulled Fields with the Jets trailing the Carolina Panthers 10-3. Fields completed only 6 of 12 passes for 46 yards in the first half, taking 3 sacks.
In six starts, Fields has posted a career-low 31.8 Total QBR, ranking 31st out of 33 qualified passers. He played one of the best games of his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, but his performance regressed in recent weeks. The Jets have only seven touchdowns in the past six games, none in the first half.
On Tuesday, Johnson was critical of Fields, essentially blaming him for the 0-7 start.
"The defense is pretty good," he told reporters at the NFL fall meetings. "If we can just complete a pass, it would look good."
