All Eyes Are on Mason Taylor After Aaron Glenn Confirms Jets Starters Will Play vs. Bucs

The Jets' vision is starting to come together. In a press conference with reporters on Tuesday, head coach Aaron Glenn shared his plans for the Jets' preseason opener against the Buccaneers, revealing that he intends to play everyone.

Aaron Glenn says "everybody's playing" when asked about the Jets' preseason opener on Friday against the Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/CqO6XVYWjF
— SNY Jets (@snyjets) August 11, 2026

While this may come as a surprise to some (including myself), the Jets’ starters did play in last year's preseason opener against the Packers, with Will McDonald IV and Garrett Wilson each playing 10 snaps.

We should expect the starters to receive a similar workload against the Buccaneers, as Glenn also mentioned he plans to give his starters between 25 and 30 reps throughout the three games.

This decision puts the early spotlight on the team’s second-year tight end Mason Taylor. With Kenyon Sadiq sidelined, Taylor will have an opportunity to build on his rookie season and solidify himself as a reliable contributor to the offense.

Mason Taylor is under the spotlight heading into Year 2

Taylor was one of the few bright spots from last year’s disastrous 3-14 season. In 13 games (11 starts), the former LSU Tiger was the team’s top pass-catcher, leading the offense in targets (65) and receptions (44), while also posting 369 yards and a touchdown.

Although these aren’t elite tight end numbers, they are solid, especially considering the team’s poor quarterback play. However, the former 2025 second-round pick’s path to another 65-target season will be difficult.

Mason Taylor runs with the ball. — Will Mason Taylor take the step that the Jets need him to take in Year 2? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The addition of Sadiq to the tight end room, Omar Cooper Jr., Wilson returning from injury, and Adonai Mitchell having a full offseason in New York under his belt puts Taylor at risk of seeing his numbers decrease.

There were even concerns regarding Taylor earlier in the offseason after an underwhelming minicamp performance. Fortunately, the former LSU Tiger has turned things around in training camp.

With Sadiq sidelined, Taylor has taken advantage of the extra reps and stood out in the joint practices against the Buccaneers. Taylor came down with an impressive grab on Tuesday and finished Wednesday’s practice with multiple touchdowns.

Although camp performances should be taken with a grain of salt, Taylor’s play over the last two days is encouraging. The extra reps have given Taylor more time to build chemistry with quarterback Geno Smith and shown the coaching staff that he can be trusted with a larger role in Sadiq’s absence.

Sadiq was expected to play a prominent role in the offense alongside Taylor, but his hernia surgery and subsequent setback have forced the rookie to miss valuable time and reps. Learning the tight end position is no easy task, and New York may want to ease the workload once he’s ready to return.

This could open the door for Taylor to start the season with a similar workload to last year.

Kenyon Sadiq and tight end Chase Curtis (87) take a water break. — It'll be interesting to see what the Jets' TE room looks like once Kenyon Sadiq returns. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Looking ahead...

Early in his young career, Taylor has already proven that he can be a dependable target, and the potential is there for him to take another step in Year 2. But with more competition for targets, nothing is guaranteed.

That’s why Friday’s preseason game is important.

With the starters expected to see the field, Taylor must show these last few practices are more than just a hot stretch and carry the momentum he built against Tampa Bay.

A few targets and some solid blocks could go a long way towards strengthening his case for a significant role in the Jets' offense.

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