Jets Country

Sauce Gardner Makes Tyrod Taylor Admission Ahead of Jets-Buccaneers

The Jets will lean on Tyrod Taylor in Week 3 against the Buccaneers...
Zach Pressnell|
New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) exits the field after a 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, September 14, 2025, in East Rutherford. Taylor was put in the game in the fourth quarter.
New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) exits the field after a 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, September 14, 2025, in East Rutherford. Taylor was put in the game in the fourth quarter. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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New York JetsTampa Bay Buccaneers

The New York Jets are 0-2 after losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills in the first two weeks of the regular season. Young quarterback Justin Fields was incredible in Week 1 against the Steelers, leading the Jets offense on multiple touchdown drives. In Week 2, Fields was horrendous before suffering a concussion.

As the Jets head into Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Aaron Glenn announced that Fields would be out with a concussion. That means veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor is stepping in as the starting quarterback going forward, as long as Fields is sidelined. Taylor has been around the league and gained the respect of a lot of players, coaches, and general managers in football, but none of that matters if he can't produce on the field for New York.

It seems as though the Jets support Taylor, though.

Sauce Gardner backs Tyrod Taylor heading into Week 3

New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylo
New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) looks for an open teammate, Sunday, September 14, 2025, in East Rutherford. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In fact, superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner recently spoke out about his belief in Taylor's ability to lead the Jets going forward.

“We always go against him in practice,” Gardner said. “We know that he’s more than capable of getting the job done. We’re not thinking (there will be) a drop-off. That’s not our mentality. Coaches believe in Tyrod, us players believe in Tyrod.”

This is the same kind of message that has been echoed throughout Jets camp, the locker room, and the city for the last few months. Once Fields was signed, there was speculation that the Jets would go after another young quarterback to fill out their roster, but the team seems to fully believe in Taylor.

With Gardner playing against the quarterback on a weekly basis, he has as good a view of Taylor's talents and abilities as anybody in the world. Having the support of such a talented defender speaks volumes to Gardner's abilities and expectations this year.

The Jets will be fighting an uphill battle to beat the Buccaneers this week, but if they're going to pull off the upset, they're going to need Taylor to be at his best.

More NFL: Jets Lose 3 Key Starters Ahead Of Week 3 Matchup Vs. Buccaneers

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "New York Jets On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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