Report: Jets bench Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor to start Week 12

The New York Jets are making a change at quarterback. Head coach Aaron Glenn is benching Justin Fields in favor of veteran Tyrod Taylor, sources told ESPN’s Rich Cimini on Monday.

The 36-year-old Taylor will start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Ironically, Cimini noted it’s the same franchise that drafted him back in 2011. The move has felt a bit inevitable, as Glenn admitted last week that he was “evaluating everything.”

Last Thursday, Fields struggled once again in a 27–14 loss to the Patriots, finishing with just 116 passing yards as the Jets’ offense sputtered. Throughout the 2025 season, Fields has thrown for only 505 total yards, and New York enters Week 12 with the league’s worst passing attack at 139.9 yards per game.

It’s not what the Jets envisioned when they brought Fields in on a $30 million guarantee. They were hoping they could unlock the upside the Bears and Steelers never fully tapped into by bringing the quarterback to New York.

That development never materialized. Fields was benched at halftime back in Week 7 against Carolina, and Glenn was already leaning toward making Taylor the starter before a lingering knee issue forced the veteran to sit out Week 8.

With no other option, Glenn went back to Fields — and for one Sunday, it worked. Fields delivered his best performance of the season just days after being criticized by owner Woody Johnson, leading the Jets to 502 yards of offense, their best output yet.

But whatever magic they found that afternoon evaporated quickly. Fields followed with just 51 passing yards against Cleveland, a game the Jets won, earning him a brief reprieve. Then, they bottomed out again against New England.

Taylor now steps in with a chance to steady the offense. He’s made one start this season, nearly rallying the Jets to a comeback win against Tampa Bay in Week 3 while throwing two touchdowns and an interception.

His career record sits at 28-29-1, and while he’s not expected to be the franchise’s long-term answer, he represents a stabilizing hand for a team sitting at 2–8 and staring down a pivotal stretch for its future.

The Jets currently hold a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, plus an additional first-rounder in both 2026 and 2027 thanks to the Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams trades. That draft capital likely puts them in position to move up for a quarterback, as Fields’ time in New York seems to be running out.