The New York Jets are making another seismic change at quarterback, and this one feels final for Justin Fields. After a 27-14 loss to the New England Patriots dropped them to 2-8 and left the offense dead last in passing yards, head coach Aaron Glenn has turned to veteran Tyrod Taylor for Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Fields’ nine-start audition in New York produced modest efficiency but very little juice through the air, and this benching strongly suggests the Jets will be back in the quarterback market once again this offseason.
From here, the logic behind the move is as much about the rest of the roster as it is about Fields himself. As detailed by ESPN, the staff wants a real evaluation of its young non-quarterbacks, especially tight end Mason Taylor and recently added wide receivers John Metchie III and Adonai Mitchell.
With Fields, the passing game never truly developed; too many checkdowns, too much holding the ball, and not enough structure to see what those weapons actually are. Taylor, even with his higher turnover risk, is expected to push the ball more and give the front office cleaner tape to build its offseason plan.
Crucially, this isn’t viewed inside the building as a temporary demotion. Unless Taylor goes down, the expectation is that Fields will remain on the bench for the rest of 2025, with a new long-term starter arriving in 2026, whether via the draft or a veteran option like Kyler Murray.
The financial reality is brutal: the Jets still owe Fields $10 million in guaranteed salary next year and are staring at a $22 million dead-money hit in 2026 when they inevitably move on, on top of the $35 million already booked for Aaron Rodgers that same year.
That is $57 million in future cap charges tied to quarterbacks who will not be on the roster, a harsh reminder of how costly their latest swing at the position has become.
